After a little hiatus, I am back and ready to keep writing on this blog. These past few months have been a whirlwind with work and life and trips and everything else, but I promise that I’m back and I’m committed to making this blog successful again!
I’ve noticed a lot of different articles have been circulating lately on websites like Huffington Post and Buzzfeed with lists like what every woman should own by the time she turns 30 or do before she gets married. While some items have some merit (i.e., “Learn how to cook. Not because you’re getting ready to be someone’s June Cleaver, but because it’s reassuring to know that you can fend for yourself in the kitchen”), not every one is a gem (i.e., “Have a summer fling. Even if it doesn’t last past Labor Day, it’s a fun memory to look back on — and makes for a fun story to reminisce about”).
What are your thoughts on lists such as these? While I normally love to make lists and check things off, I can’t help but feel nervous about ones like those listed above. I feel like the lists that are trending now include mostly cliches, not in-depth, meaningful things. Everyone wants to have all the answers all the time, but that’s just not possible. Do these lists help us feel more in control, like our future is within tangible grasp? Or do we just like seeing what other people deem important in their lives? Why do we seem to like listening to other people tell us what to do?
There are so many adjectives women are “supposed to” embody and so many verbs women “should master” before reaching certain milestones in life, like marriage or turning the big 3-0. But why?
Words Are My Life 
Jessica, this is great! I love lists as well and have really enjoyed reading articles like the one you mentioned (I even read the things-to-do-before-marriage one you linked!), and while I’m generally tempted to take pieces of advice like the ones in these lists at face value, I’ve definitely noticed a tendency toward shallow platitudes rather than tips that are actually useful. The abundance of lists is an interesting phenomenon, and a useful one, much of the time, but the longer it goes on, the more the poorer quality stuff seems to float to the top. I’m curious to see what other directions the trend might take later on.
Also–do you mind if I do a response to this on my blog (with a link to yours, of course 😉 )? This is getting me thinking as well!
Thanks, Kristen! Yes, I definitely agree with you. And feel free to blog away about it! 🙂 I’d love to hear more of your thoughts!
Awesome, thanks! I shall 🙂
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HI Jessica, I am really glad you posted this as you touch on something that is very dear to me. There are too many “shoulds” in life. Sometimes the intention is good and lists can give us ideas. Yet often the lists are coupled with a condition: to be successful, to be happy, etc. The list of what you should “own” is surely only a list to promote sales of items on that list.
It would be interesting to see a request to celebrate what have done, whatever that is.