claire.she.goes

Category: I’m just sayin’.

  • Still here? Why do I keep blogging?

    Behind the scenes on this website, I’ve been doing some restructuring. This led to me looking up the very first post that I shared, which in turn led to me realizing how old this blog really is. And, yikes. It’s been a small lifetime! A child and family likely would have been a wiser investment…

  • “Bring back personal blogging”?! Yes, PLEASE!!

    “Bring back personal blogging”?! Yes, PLEASE!!

    There are times when you read something and can’t relate. And then, here are the times you read an article and think, “OMG. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!”  Dear Reader, this was one of those times. Get into this article by Monique Judge: Bring back personal blogging Although it was published last year, I found…

  • PSA: On Misogynoir

    PSA: On Misogynoir

    There’s a story behind this post. I just don’t feel like telling it right now. Certainly, if I ever do, I won’t mention any names. And I’ll likely obscure details, because those are no one’s business. That said: If you’re a Black woman, and another Black woman confronts you for being horrible to her, that’s…

  • On Compassion

    On Compassion

    Just FYI: My next interview starts off with a question that uses this word. I was inspired to write this post because I wanted to address something that’s been lurking in the atmosphere. Let’s start things off off with a definition. According to Merriam-Webster, compassion is a “sympathetic  consciousness of others’ distress together with a…

  • Take A Knee

    Take A Knee

    This summer, I worked with a group of teenage ESL students. I remember the first time I taught them our national anthem. Everyone was ok with what we were doing, except one young woman. I’ll call her Emma. After we sang “O Canada,”  I had the students work through an anthem-related activity. Once we were…

  • Selfies suck.

    True story: A week or so ago, after I’d done my hair, I decided to take a photo. I picked up my phone, and put the camera in selfie-mode. The next thing you know, I was making a screwface at the thing, like, “What kind of [new-twist-on-old-swearword] is this?!?” My new ‘do–which was full and…

  • On “Black Friends”

    Demetria just about covered it. I read a bunch of comments about Adele on Grammy night that were ridiculous. I swear. My eyes rolled so hard, it’s a wonder they didn’t fall out of my head. Then, I got introspective. What do you hear when someone uses the words “Black friends”? We live in an…

  • Black In The 519

    Black In The 519

    I’ve lived in Small Town*, Ontario my whole life. Although certain things are happening now that make me feel hopeful, there are a few aspects of life here that get on my nerves. I’m one of the displaced: A person of colour who has struggled to make peace with life in a non-diverse part of…

  • Solid Saturday: Speak UP!!

    Here’s a little something from way back when. There’s nothing like hearing your old sense of ambition falling from your lips to remind you of who you are. For the time being I’ve put my podcast aside. (NOTE: No matter what anyone else says, there’s no such thing as FREE podcast hosting. I mean…sure. Some…

  • The Magic of Misinterpretation

    In addition to being shared here, I’ve posted this essay on Medium and recorded an audio version for my podcast. When I was a little girl, there were times when I regretted being brown. My schoolmates used to tease me. Their comments left me curious about having different facial features and lighter skin. As an…