u/bagelsandkegels

I was at one of our local cat non-profit's weekly adoption event six years ago when I saw a lady returning her six month old kitten because she didn't want to pay a $500 non-refundable pet deposit at her new home. I asked the lady what the kitten's name was and she said "Dit Dot." What kind of monster would name this gorgeous kitty Dit Dot? I had fostered for this non-profit before, so the director let me take her home until we could find a permanent family for her, and (clearly) it didn't work out that way. Decided to keep her. Named her Freyja after the Nordic goddess. She's a total daddy's girl, but she does show interest in me from time to time.

My dad met Gloria Steinem while he was producing a half hour talk program called Newsmakers. She was a guest on the show, promoting her new collection of essays, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. He bought a copy, told her about his 9-month-old daughter, and she signed it. When I was a kid, he’d tell me about a special book he was saving for me, but it wasn’t until I was an angsty 17-year-old that he handed the book over. Almost as soon as he placed it in my hands, it became one of my most prized possessions. I pored over those essays. She wasn’t just an activist. She was a journalist. She was a comedian. She was a genius. No matter where I live, I always know where the book is at any given moment. So, when I opened my laptop this morning and saw the news that Gloria died yesterday, it took me three seconds to find it. Thank you, Ms. Steinem, for everything. I will keep working on my own outrageous acts.