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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 2017)
Page 6 August 9, 2017 New Prices Effective April 1, 2017 O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $49.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Success Looks Different for Everyone Driven by a passion to be themselves l aura f inley Some peo- ple are just too much, as the sto- ry goes. Or too “extra,” in the parlance of to- day’s youth. That is, they are more than the status quo can take. They challenge the norms, they are unapologetic, and instead of rejecting it, as is often expected, they remain fiercely committed to their difference. Instead of embracing this at- titude, we ridicule and we reject people who are too much. But isn’t it precisely those over-the- top people, those creative inno- vators, those “unruly” people, people, that are most needed in our world today? Instead, we minimize, dismiss, and marginalize those who don’t fit nicely into our binary defini- tions of whatever the issue may be. Not skinny? You’re too fat. Too thin? You’re anorexic. Too optimistic? You’re naïve. Too somber? You must be clinical- ly depressed. Ask for what you by want? Too pushy. Don’t ask? Not assertive enough. While this binary-thinking problem afflicts the U.S. as a whole, it is perhaps most acute- ly on display when we talk about gender. Women who embrace their sexuality are too slutty. Women who refuse to succumb to prescribed notions for post- 40s dress are too old. Women who lead are bossy. During the 2016 presidential campaign (and through all of women are part of the problem. Writing in Forbes in April 2012, Jenna Goudreau notes how women also find others who are too much to be intimidating. Women who happen to be attrac- tive and also have a successful career and personal life are of- ten persona non grata with other women. Popular culture contributes to this notion that if women with children happen to be successful in any realm outside of moth- While this binary-thinking problem afflicts the U.S. as a whole, it is perhaps most acutely on display when we talk about gender. her previous campaigns), Hillary Clinton was repeatedly described as “shrill” whenever she got an- imated about a topic. Yet male candidates often talk loudly (and, as Donald Trump demonstrated during the debates) and over fe- male candidates, this pejorative is not used to describe them. And before I am accused of some radical man-hating agenda, I completely acknowledge that erhood, they are instantly less likeable unless they are that rare breed of super-palatable celebrity moms, like Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba. The message is clear: Tone it down, don’t push too much, don’t achieve too much…don’t be too much. The problem goes beyond a simple narrowness of identi- ty. Rather, this view that any- one who is more than me is too be disregarded or reviled limits much-needed social change. As Anne Helen Peterson wrote in her book Too fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud, these unruly people are the ones who help chip away at antiquated notions of femininity and masculinity. They challenge stereotypes and shatter glass ceil- ings. It is not people who play it safe who will be our leaders but those who take risks and perse- vere through pushbacks. So, what if instead of making fun of the unruly people who are too-this or too-that, we asked what it is about our culture that bothers us so much about some- one who smashes the either/or categorizations? What if we taught our kids that not only are people differ- ent from one another in terms of looks, interests, and abilities, but that success looks different for everyone? In fact, what if we en- couraged all people to go for it? To pursue with passion what ex- cites them? To wear what pleases them? To use their bodies as they desire? That’s the kind of world I’m up for. Laura Finley, Ph.D., teaches in the Barry University Depart- ment of Sociology & Criminology and is syndicated by PeaceVoice.
