That's Right, B*****es ... I'M ENGAGED

It’s been exactly 14 days, some hours and many minutes since my 46^th birthday. 

Nothing is different. Just wanted to let everyone know I made it two weeks into my new year and I’m still the same as I was that many days ago – physically and mentally.

Well ... one thing has changed and that's my relationship status.

No, I’m not back on the market. But I get it: I’m kind of a catch. What guy wouldn't want a chick who is basically a human lie-detector? A domesticated AF goddess who knows how to fake the chill when needed, have a good time but is also low-key CIA, FBI and NSA skilled enough to be able to find Waldo and Carmen San Diego without a single clue?

Apparently ... every guy I've ever dated up until I met my boyfriend. Who I can now call my fiancé.

That’s right, bitches – I’m ENGAGED. #1092dayfiancé

… finally … right?? 

And to say that I am excited would be an understatement.

I’m sure my fiancé thought it was cute in the beginning but I am quite sure that reminding him of my (our) new relationship status by randomly thrusting my engagement-ringed hand in his direct line of sight is going to get old – if it hasn’t already.

I. Don’t. Care.

And when we are married, I’m going to probably annoy TF out of him by changing my name in his phone to "Dawn 'The Wife' Harbin" and randomly talking in third person.

“Mrs. Harbin will be leaving for work now.”
“Mrs. Harbin is waiting for her good morning hug.”

“Mrs. Harbin wants to know why you are on the other couch instead of on the loveseat next to her.”

Which will undoubtedly lead to:

“Mr. Harbin thinks Mrs. Harbin is going to need to chill TF out now.”

Juuuuust kidding.

He would definitely say that, but I would not … um … over-reference myself in third person.

Look, I worked hard to get here. It took me THREE WHOLE F*ing YEARS to grow on him. Because while I can look great online and clean up nice, I’m not a hotty by nature, so I had to rely on my personality, domestic skillset and patience to put with his shit.

Just kidding. I had him at that RIGHT SWIPE … #RealLifeTinderella

Don't get me wrong, he's awesome and I know I'm equally lucky. In a time when it's become trendy to denegrate men, I'm not feminist that way. I am proud to have found one who accepts and puts up with my crazy shit, too. And you guys really have NO idea ... 

Speaking of (not really, but let’s go here), it’s a lot of extra work being engaged. Now that I have a ring, I can’t walk out of the house looking busted anymore. Some effort needs to be made with my appearance so that I look like I match the ring. Not only do I need to do basic hair and make-up, but my wardrobe has transitioned to be more in line with Instagram influencer than Walmart shopper now.

BTW, when I say ‘Instagram influencer,’ it just means I’m not wearing sweats or yoga pants. 

I digress. #feyoncé

And like every newly engaged girl, I wanted to roll out my announcement with super awesome, bougie, engagement pix on my social media feeds so all my friends can join in my excitement that someone finally “put a ring on it.” After 13 years of me blogging about douchebags and my own stupidity and bad decisions, I can now start a new chapter sharing my newfound relationship expertise and the 12-steps to finding and keeping your soulmate ...

Not really. My blog is based on a steady flow of pettiness and sarcasm and the only reason for my engagement photos to be on social media is so that my past can see my future and hate on it even more.

Because I’m petty. #pettyassbitch

Anyway, I really wanted photos to happen sooner, but as it turns out, it wasn’t easy to just book a photographer. Especially last minute – which is how I’m rolling these days with my schedule.

Side note: I don’t think I really appreciated me as a photographer until I started looking for a photographer.

Scrolling through portfolios and comparing investment information made me realize something profound about my time and talent that was completely unexpected: I photograph people the way I want to be photographed and I give people what I want to be given at a price that I would be able to afford.

So, I’ve basically been looking for MYSELF and wasted so much time doing it, that I missed my opportunity to book within our availability since my fiancé will be leaving in a week. And I am not sure how much longer I can maintain myself to be able to look good in the dress I will be wearing. There’s, like, such a small window of allowance in weight fluctuation with my dress in the size and style I chose that was deliverable via Amazon Prime because I have no patience or chill or self-control when it comes to food.

It’s a struggle. For real.

I know yawl can relate and I appreciate that so much. Maybe you guys can also relate to your man not understanding why we don’t take selfies for engagement announcements. 

Really. #thathappened

My fiancé said AND I QUOTE to set the self-timer on the camera and take them myself - LIKE WHO IS THIS MAN AND DOES HE EVEN KNOW ME?!

Turns out, he does know me because it’s not like I haven’t done that in the past - for holiday photos. But this is different - I wanted the engagement experience without the pressure of trying to take my own photos. The same happy ever after looking experience I have had the privilege to give other engaged couples. 

Besides, Pinterest told me that none of the shots I want can be self-timed.

Don’t get me wrong, I was not and am not looking for ‘cheap' – I believe that you get what you pay for and I don’t believe in settling for less even if I have to pay more. But at this point I was looking for "available within my now limited schedule" and with it being the holiday portrait season and the weather being a dick for no reason randomly, I missed out by taking so long.

So, I turned to my daughter and my little brother.

I can’t put into words how much it meant to me that when I asked, they didn’t hesitate to say yes. I don’t even care what these pictures look like, just that they’re the ones taking them will be awesome … even though I sent them both screenshots from my Pinterest board …

All. Of. Them. 

And with my brother being a better photographer than me and the simple fact that I trained my daughter over the years … there’s a lot of pressure to make these look magical.

Just kidding.

Honestly, this couldn’t be more perfect. I get to share an important day in my life with my family documenting it. My daughter who has only ever wanted me to be happy along with wanting every new Pokémon game ever for the past almost 22 years; and my baby brother who used to let me take him out every Sunday to a movie, McDonald’s and then to pick out comic books. 

And my parents won’t be left out – I have an idea to include them. And my dog.

At this point, we can describe me as possibly gearing up to be on a ‘hide her from my timeline already’ level of ‘extra.’

My fiancé is NOT ready for this.

And. I. Don’t. Care. 

Because I’m ENGAGED. 

Bitches. #engaged

S**t ... I'm probably not even ready for this ... 

(PS: Don't ask about the marriage date, we didn't get that far yet. Baby steps, it's number 3 for both of us.)

Watch Out 46! I’m Coming In Hot … One Flash at a Time …

Photo collage by Serdar Gulmez/Photographer/Greensboro, NC
Wonder Woman armor crafted by www.jasonevansfx.com

Just to clarify: by flash, I mean hot flash, not camera flash.

And while I'm on the subject of menopause, ladies ... it's not as bad as I'd been led to believe it would be. Yet, at the same time, it's no joke, either.

I've been in menopause since my early 40s. The first thing to go was my menstrual cycle and truly that was a celebration of freedom. Nothing else seemed to happen after that, so I fell into a false sense of security - until this year.

That's when my body decided it would just go ahead and release all the menopausal symptoms at one time.

And why the hell not?

Going into the last half of my 40s, it would only seem fitting to battle it all out at once. Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia ... challenge accepted.

Just kidding. I opted for hormone therapy like a little bitch until it brought back my periods and so I quit HRT and am now coasting into 46 au naturale.

Did I mention I'm coming up on my 46th birthday?

Speaking of my birthday, this year’s Scorpio season saw me downgrade my birthday month to just a birthday weekend. It’s a lot of work to pretend to be excited about two things that aren’t really that exciting – my birthday and star sign – just for the sake of social media appearances. Realistically, I can probably keep it up for about a week on social media and by the time my birthday actually gets here, I’m over it.

My star sign is not a crown and my birthday is just another day.

Photo by my daughter. She said I look
bored, but this is my happy face. 

But each year, I write a celebratory birthday blog. Sometimes it’s early, sometimes late and sometimes – like this one - it skids into my birthday at the last minute like some of my daughter’s college papers. I mean, what’s the rush? I have until midnight after which I’m going to be 46 for a whole year. It was a little harder to write this year because I didn't do much other than work. But here I am …  with no direction and a lot of self-reflection.

You have been warned.

46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46

When I see or say the number, I feel like I should be in a panic because I’m that much closer to the big 5-0. I never believed that age is just a number. I've always said it’s more than that. It’s how long I’ve been on this earth, how much life I have experienced, and the knowledge and wisdom I may (or may not) have gained in that time.

So, I’m 46. It’s not “the new” anything. It’s just 46 - and that's okay. I don’t feel my age, but then, what does it actually mean to “feel” an age?

I’ve never "felt" my age. That’s a true story.

I’ve never “acted” my age either. Another true story - you can ask my parents.

Every year after 35, as I inched closer to 40, I would experience mild anxiety and panic at nearing an age I considered ‘old.’ Listening to everyone who made it there before I did, I expected my body to fall apart, my face to show excessive signs of wear and – being single at the time – turning into a spinster because no man would want to be with a woman past her prime and child-bearing years. 

Even men my own age, which was a hard pill to swallow when that started back in my mid-30s.

No, ladies, being a puma or a cougar is not something to celebrate or aspire to regardless of what porn, mainstream media and feminist social activists would like to push into relevant acceptability. 

The only guys interested in older women are older men looking for a placeholder and young men looking to punch their (sexual) experience card. I’ve had my fair share of dating younger men because men my age want women my daughter’s age (20s). I can tell you that it’s a lonely and depressing place to be when you realize there is nothing those boys can give you but a good time. And there is nothing you can give them but experience. 

Great for a good time, not for a long time.

And remember, posting self-affirmation memes and quotes online doesn't help the cause - it's just an attempt to prove viability by seeking validation from everyone else through likes and shares online.

My pride never let me do that. I'm not begging anyone to see me.

But, I digress.

So, while I have a few more wrinkles, one less tooth and dealt with a 5 years long intestinal infection from my career in crash fad diets and eating disorders that stemmed from a poor relationship with my body, I don’t feel old. As a matter of fact, I feel pretty damn good for being 46 years into my life. Which makes me wonder:

Why do we talk about the downsides of getting older like they are negative side-effects of prescription medication?

“Once you hit 46, you may experience menopause, intermittent constipation that may last weeks, popping joints, failing eye sight, gray hair, saggy body parts, unexpected weight gain, memory failure, sudden onset diet restrictions and allergies … if any of this lasts more than 4 years, you may wish to check into an assisted living facility now.”

But what about the benefits?

What no one tells you is that the older you get, the more you start to accept yourself – and I’m not just talking about the muffintop or thunder thighs. After wasting years of my life trying to be someone else’s idea of who I should be, I'm not afraid to be who I am, say what I mean and do what I want. It’s not a movement – because there is no social media hashtag that can inspire me to take stock of myself and learn to be okay with who I am without a filter. 

Being present, engaged and connecting with myself offline – accepting, facing and somewhat defeating my past  – not only changed the way I see myself, but also who and what I was attracting into my life. We’re all magnets and are constantly pulling the same energy we put out towards us.

Not a Zen moment, just a real moment.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have insecurities that stem from a less than positive body image and – as much as I try not to – past relationship experiences. I’d love to say that I never use those things to pick fights with my boyfriend but I’d be lying. I’m still a girl.

Basically, what I’m saying is that I am now way more secure in myself and my insecurities. I know my crazy and I'm honest about it. No apologies. 

And yes, I am still with the same boyfriend. It’s been almost four years and I’m sure he’s just as happy as I have been since the day we met, if not more. I never blog about him or our relationship, but it is so imperfectly perfect that I might start – he’s already been notified. 

Again,I digress.

So, before I sat down to write, I went back and read a few of my past blogs. Reading through my inner and outer journey - from chasing meaning in meaningless things and relationships to finding the real meaning in my so far, well-lived life - was kind of an emotional experience. 

It felt like I was reading the script treatment to a KDrama.

“It’s the story of a girl, raising a girl, being the girl that everyone wanted her to be for them until she finds the boy that just wants her to be the best girl she can be while raising her girl together in life with him.”

And of course, as in all KDramas, it’s filled with emotional roller coasters, highs, lows, calms and a happy ending (no pun or offense intended) after 50 episodes.

Unlike Chinese dramas that take you through 75 - 100 episodes and end on cliffhangers because they’re f*cking communists and don’t want anyone to be happy and have closure.

(Just kidding China, if you’re reading this.)

On further thought, it’s probably more accurate to say that my life up until now has been a series of cliffhangers – always ‘to be continued’ based on the consequential outcome of my own poor decisions. Admittedly, I know how things will turn out since I tend to make many of the same mistakes more than a few hundred times. But since I don’t make them consecutively, there’s always that brief moment of initial surprise before recognition sets in. 

Hey, at least I can admit my life is my fault. I feel like that’s being somewhat mature.

But even through all of that, I don't have many regrets.

https://imgur.
com/gallery
/0Ioet/
comment/
354139533

The ones I do have are because I chose to prioritize over my family. I missed time with my guy, my daughter, brothers and parents in favor of filling up my free time with more work. It sucked to miss my daughter’s prom and my niece’s graduation. I worked on my daughter's and parents' birthdays. Every second of free time I had, I gave away to everyone except my family and friends.

It wasn’t until recently that I made the abrupt decision to re-focus my life around my family. No, it wasn't some kind of spiritual awakening. I just had the epiphany that I didn't really like working 7-days a week and missing out on life.

So, I did something about it.

Because time is something I will never get back, the worst feeling to carry around is regret over wasting it on things that don't matter. I'm not getting any younger, so there really is no time to waste anymore.

Forty-six is going to be full of changes that will bring big things – according to my divination chart. As a Scorpio, I've entered the third and final transformation - the Phoenix. I mean, if I believed in all of that.

Still flying by the seat of my pants with no real plan. But I’m looking forward to seeing what I’ll be doing this year.

Wonder Woman Wednesday

In honor of Wonder Woman Wednesday: 

Taken right after I realized that I was experiencing a wardrobe malfunction.
You can see my arms trying to keep a grip on my armor. Good times. 

So, this past Saturday, I did a thing.

I took my daughter to Animazement in Raleigh and cosplayed Wonder Woman.  

That’s right. I wore a costume to an event outside of Halloween.

Even though I wasn’t the only adult in costume, I would wager that I was the only one who had no f*king clue what I was doing. I felt like a noob. I mean, technically I was a noob, but I also LOOKED like a noob. And after a few hours of the cosplay life, I definitely gained a newfound appreciation for the art. Yes, it’s an art. Not just because most cosplayers make their own costumes, but they also get into their ‘character’ on demand.

You’d think I would already know this from my kid doing this every year, but I’m usually the one standing off to the side like a ‘dance mom’ miming poses for her to do while I’m holding my bag, her phone, drinks and any swag we pick up or purchase. But I digress ...

For me, showing up and walking around in costume was the easy part. But I wasn’t ready for people to ask to take photos of and with me. For some reason I thought that I’d still just be bodyguarding my kid – who was dressed up as Sailor Pluto – as people asked to photograph her like every other year. Except this year I’d be in costume.

Carrying around a plastic sword and shield.

Getting flagged down on the way out.
My daughter took this pic of me while
I was 'posing' carefully for someone else.

However, that was not the case. We weren’t there a few minutes before the photo requests started. At first, they just wanted pictures of my daughter. But then, I got my first one. Like a deer in headlights, I stood there for what seemed like the longest minute while the person taking the photo just waited.

What were they waiting fo - oh.

They wanted me to pose … as if I WAS actually Wonder Woman.  Put on a show. Look bad ass. In my bad ass costume.

I wasn’t ready for all of that …

Before I continue, let me tell you about my bad ass costume. It was/is spectacular. I had it custom made to fit my measurements by a guy I found on Instagram who does amazingly detailed work. It looks exactly like the new movie costume – except with a lace up corset back. Putting it on, I thought it would be smart to wear spanx and support hose to slim my curves and to perhaps even help the costume go on more smoothly. I literally packed myself in like a sausage. From the boobs down, nothing was jiggling or moving. I didn't need to wear Spanx, it just made me feel more secure in the costume.

With that in mind, I felt like I could strike almost any pose and I would not have to worry about any part of my body poking out. And I did! With each photo op, I got more and more brave - pulling my arm back, reaching for my sword, standing like a boss warrior babe. People seemed to dig it.

In my mind, I was straight FIRE. But reality caught up with me a little late into the day and boy was that ever so humbling … and humiliating.

See, I wanted photos of me and my daughter together before she took her costume off, so we went to one of the photo stations. We took a few together and then I had her take some individuals. As I was getting into my first ‘hero’ pose, the photographer stopped me immediately and rearranged my body, explaining, “To keep your side boob from showing.”

Um, first of all, I didn’t have side-boob showing when I initially put the costume on.

Y’all, my costume had slipped down a bit sometime during the day and all the curves I had shoehorned into my shapewear started to squeeze out the top like a push pop. And it wasn’t side boob - it was my curves slowly expanding out like a busted can of biscuits under my arms and around my back.

#dead

I was (and still am) slightly mortified, wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, and I’ve been

The only photo I found of me on IG. 

frantically checking Instagram to see if any of those photos have been posted (I’ve found only one and thankfully it shows nothing). I couldn’t even pull it back up without undoing the corset back because it was so hot in the convention center and I had sweat a small river inside the armour causing it to suction to my body.

So, I just clamped my arms down on the sides hoping that would help. But at that point, I just gave up - whatever was going to happen could not be worse than what had already happened.

Through that, I still had a great time at the con with my daughter. She was – like always – my biggest cheerleader. I also love my costume and plan on wearing it again – without the spanx and maybe do a little research on posing.

Wonder Woman has been my favorite since I was a kid. I loved the TV show, comics and I enjoyed the new movie(s). But I never wanted to be either version of Wonder Woman. I just wanted to be a Wonder Woman. It only took me 40 years but I actually got to be me - Dawn Elizabeth - as Wonder Woman.

And my daughter finally got me to cosplay to one of her conventions.

#winwin

Until next time - ciao!

Costume by @JEFX - check out his page on IG or visit his website: www.jasonevansfx.com.

To abort or not to abort – is it a human right?

The better question is, isn't it a human right to be allowed to LIVE?

Before I continue, I should say that I am pro-life for me and pro-choice for everyone who feels they need that option. But I'm not dumb and I realize the contradiction in values and the moral implications of abortion.

Recently, Alabama’s abortion bill has set fire to my timeline on social media. As a woman, I should be upset. This violates my right to choose what I do with my body, right? I should be able to terminate a pregnancy that I do not want to carry to term. It’s my prerogative and no man – or woman – should be able to control what I do with my body.

Right? Maybe. But, I’m not really upset because I think in my heart, I know it's wrong to fight to be able to kill an unborn child who didn't ask to be conceived and who doesn't get to make the choice to live or die because it is a body living inside my body.

However, something else is happening that is cause for outrage and I will get to that later.

I don’t talk much about it, but I’ve had two abortions in my life – both around 5 weeks gestation. I remember both vividly and while I do not regret either one, I am not proud of them. Because those were selfish choices I made on behalf of a baby that did not ask to be conceived. I was irresponsible and that fetus paid the price for my actions. During my second one, I was in my 30s and chose not to get anesthesia – I wanted to feel the consequences of my action. I don’t recommend it.

But, still, I am pro-choice.

I may not choose abortion for myself again, but it is still a choice. And now there are some states taking that choice away from girls/women (even in instances of rape/incest which I do not agree with at all), but I can understand that as I am pro-life as well. When I talk to my daughter, I let her know that if that’s an option she feels is necessary, I won’t judge her for it, but that I would hope she would choose life. Because a fetus is a human and a human has a right to life, right? Even in the case of rape/incest, a fetus is still a life. But since it wouldn’t be her choice to get pregnant in that circumstance, why should it not be her choice on whether to have the baby or not?

But regardless of circumstance, it should still be HER choice.

Abortion, morally, is wrong. I can agree and accept that. As a society, we’ve dehumanized infants at the point of conception until birth because that makes choosing death for them an easier choice, one without guilt. I’m proof. I do not feel guilt or regret over my decisions and I’m not proud of that fact. What kind of person doesn’t feel anything over exterminating a life before it has a chance to be born? There's no justification except selfishness (except in cases of rape/incest).

The same kind of person who is more concerned with baby animal rights and the rights of every living creature on earth except baby humans who have not been allowed to grow and be brought into the world - regardless of the reason of pregnancy. I see a lot of posts and articles about the horrific crimes done to animals who can’t protect themselves but, in my mind, wouldn’t a fetus also be in the same category of not being able to defend itself? Or is it intent of the mother to keep or abort that dictates how we feel about baby humans versus baby animals?

Yes. And no. Or maybe …

It’s because we don’t consider a fetus a human at all until after birth. And that, folks, is social engineering and conditioning at its finest. That is a contradiction in morals and values that has been indoctrinated over decades through all forms of media and institution to desensitize us to things that we should have strong moral objections about. My own experience is proof of that as well as the evolution on what we now tolerate as acceptable actions and behavior in comparison to 30-40 years ago. But I digress.

If people can champion the ‘rights’ of unborn and baby animals – basically all animals - because they can’t protect themselves, but not the ‘rights’ of unborn and baby humans who also can’t protect themselves, what does that say about humanity?

Nothing really good. And yet, even knowing this, I am still pro-choice for those who feel that is the only option.

What people should really be concerned about – what I feel is a real ‘right’ or necessary ‘privilege’ that may be taken away (if it’s true) – is now there are politicians targeting to regulate or even limit  access to affordable birth control pills under the reason that it is ‘pre-abortion.’

Which is utter bullshit and outrageous.

There is no better way to prevent an abortion than to prevent a pregnancy. That, folks, is where your outrage should be. Men – and women – are trying to limit a woman’s choice to prevent unwanted pregnancy by taking away the option for birth control – according to the latest headlines. I’ve yet to fact check it, but if this is even remotely true, it's wrong.

THAT is waging war on women’s reproductive rights or privileges -however you want to classify it.

Think this is a 24 week old 'fetus' born
premature. I struggled with including
this as an illustration, but I feel like
people should be aware of what they
are choosing and for whom.

Taking away a woman’s privilege to terminate her pregnancy is not a war on women’s bodies. It’s a movement to ‘save the babies.’ I might not agree with it, but I can understand the morals behind it. But taking away a woman’s privilege to use any means necessary to prevent a pregnancy – and then limiting or banning the privilege to abortion in the event of an unwanted pregnancy because she was not allowed to prevent it in the first place – is controlling women’s reproductive choices when it isn’t necessary.

You won’t change my mind.

Forcing women to give birth to unwanted children, thinking they might choose to adopt them out or take one look at that sweet face and fall in love … is a fairy tale. Forcing women to give birth to a child they don’t want fosters resentment and it’s often taken out on the child if they choose to keep him/her rather than adopt out. So when that politician said, “kill ‘em now or kill ‘em later” – he wasn’t lying. It was cruel, blunt truth and not because that child will become a criminal as he tried to say. It’s because there’s a chance that child will be mistreated, abused and even killed before he or she reaches adulthood.

And at least he’s admitting that abortion is, indeed, killing a child. THAT was an unintentional step in the right direction.

If we want to reduce the abortion rate, we need to educate. And not in the “if you don't want to get knocked up, don't have unprotected sex” sense. Start teaching young girls and women to make smarter choices for themselves and their bodies. Explain to them that they become mothers from the point of conception - they are not expecting a child, they HAVE a child. They are not getting ready to ‘be a mom,’ they are already a mom.

To change the way people think about abortion, you need to change the way they think of conception and pregnancy.

Teach them the consequences of being irresponsible with their bodies. Make them respect their bodies and not be so frivolous with them. Show them the fetus at every milestone of gestation so that they understand when they make the decision to abort, that it is a life they are exterminating, not just a ‘clump of cells.’

And if they get pregnant, let them make their own decisions – because when you properly raise and educate your kids, you will be surprised to know they don’t make these decisions lightly - for either choice they make.

As a mother, if my daughter didn’t know any of this, I would say that I’ve failed her as a mom. It is not the government’s or the education system’s job to teach my kid about life, sex and babies. I don’t feel that it should be a government decision to regulate a service like abortion or birth control, much like I opposed the ACA for the same reasons – keep the government out of my healthcare decisions. Although, as a side note, I also do not think the government should subsidize abortions with tax-payer dollars.

And anyone who feels that regulating abortion and birth control is okay, but oppose the ACA needs to admit that they are contradicting themselves. Because you can’t tell everyone that it’s wrong for the government to control healthcare for everyone because we should all have a choice in our own healthcare decisions, but that it’s okay for the government (local or federal) to control the access to birth control - which in my opinion is a healthcare decision that could potentially eliminate the need/want for abortions. One form of government control is not better than another even if you disguise it as a moral issue.

Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, you’re both right as long as you understand that – morally – abortion is exterminating a HUMAN life. But also know that we have been conditioned to gradually tolerate the unthinkable until we eventually celebrate it.

Killing an unborn child is nothing to celebrate, remember that; but neither is forcing a woman to bring an unwanted child into the world to potentially be mistreated and abused because she didn’t choose to give the child up for adoption (another system that is flawed). It’s a Catch 22.

And even still, I am pro-choice for all the women who feel they need to have that as a backup plan.

My vote is to keep the government and everyone else out of our personal decisions – including healthcare, abortion and birth control.

PS: I can see everyone frantically Googling to Fact Check anything I am saying right now, so let me stop you from making the unnecessary expenditure of energy by clarifying that this is MY OPINION and nothing more. You are free to feel and think as you wish. If I'm wrong about the birth control issue, I'm sure that I'll see it in the news or scrolling across my newsfeed one day.

I don't feel that they do most abortions like this nowadays,
but for context, this is a D&E just after the 1st trimester
and you can clearly see that is a baby & not a clump
of cells.