Published in A Different Page·PinnedMember-onlyThe Problem With ‘Self-Care’ That Nobody Talks AboutLike much of the world, I’m currently clawing my way out of the wreckage of the last few years. I suspect we’re in the eye of the storm, but I’ll take what I can get: schools are open, boosters work, we haven’t yet started World War III (I think?). Things…Mental Health5 min readMental Health5 min read
Published in About Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Addie PageUnusual woman writing through midlife/mom life — I’m Addie Page, a personal essayist, and op-ed writer. I often have unusual opinions — informed by my experiences as the mother of a special needs kid, a rare INTJ female, and a breadwinner with a house husband— and I write about them here. I also often do unusual things…About Me3 min readAbout Me3 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·PinnedMember-onlyWhy I Don’t Wear BikinisIt’s not the reason you think. — (Author’s note: If you’re thinking of joining Medium to read more articles by me and other great writers, you can sign up through my link here. Your subscription will directly support my work!) I’m particular about my bathing suits: long shorts, and shirts that cover the midriff and cleavage. You…Relationships4 min readRelationships4 min read
Published in The Virago·Jan 20Member-onlyMy Life Is Easier Than Other Women’s Because I Have ThisI’m not clever, just lucky — There’s no shortage of articles about how terrible it is to be a woman — especially a working mother—these days. How exhausting it is to carry the burden of emotional labor, kin-keeping, and domestic logistics. How unequal heterosexual relationships continue to be in the distribution of household labor. Even I…Relationships5 min readRelationships5 min read
Published in A Different Page·Dec 10, 2022Member-onlyGot Lots of Unfinished Projects? Here’s Why.Hint: it’s not a “productivity” problem — My life is littered with unfinished projects: a wilted, weed-choked tomato garden, three skeletal websites, four scenes of a TV pilot, two unedited novels, a half album of songs I’ve never sung to anybody. I can’t even finish folding my laundry. It’s absurd. Depending on my mood, I’ll blame it…Life4 min readLife4 min read
Published in A Different Page·Dec 4, 2022Member-onlyCan You Upgrade a Kid’s Brain with Lasers and Bacteria?The learning disability cures doctors didn’t tell me about — This morning, I poured live bacteria into my daughter’s milk and told her to chug it. After that, I grabbed an infrared laser and beamed it into her temple for five minutes. Next, we did a coordination exercise where she tried (and comically failed) to touch her left knee with…Psychology5 min readPsychology5 min read
Published in A Different Page·Nov 16, 2022Member-onlyWhat It’s Like to Be A Female BouncerPicture a bouncer. Whatever you just imagined, I am the exact opposite of that: a skinny white girl with a goofy grin and a bunch of flowy dresses. If you saw a picture of me, you might think “kindergarten teacher” or “yoga instructor.” But some years ago — before I…This Happened To Me5 min readThis Happened To Me5 min read
Published in A Different Page·Oct 20, 2022Member-onlyYes, Obnoxious Children Do Belong in Public PlacesMillennial parents like myself are used to a lot of side-eye. We get it if we leave our kid in a locked car for two minutes to pee in a gas station. We get it if we let our competent 9-year-old walk two blocks by themselves. …Parenting7 min readParenting7 min read
Published in A Different Page·Oct 12, 2022Member-onlyA Crisis of Midlife Crises is ComingIt might even be here already — Last night, I was changing my clothes, and my husband stopped me. “What happened there?” he said, pointing at my thigh. I looked down to discover an unruly, mottled bruise the size of my palm. My husband joked, “If somebody saw that, I’d get arrested for abuse.” “Oh,” I said…Mental Heath6 min readMental Heath6 min read
Published in A Different Page·Oct 1, 2022Member-onlyI Thank My Husband Every 4 MinutesNo, I am not a brainwashed Stepford wife — Anyone who has been reading my essays here knows a handful of things about me: I’m a little unusual and a lot too confident. Motherhood doesn’t always suit me. These last few years have been rough. But you’d also know that — despite all these challenges — I still really…Relationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
