Because woman's work is never done...

*Poster in my room throughout college*

Because woman's work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we're the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it's our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we're nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we're nymphos and if we don't we're frigid and if we love women it's because we can't get a "real" man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we're neurotic and/or pushy and if we expect childcare we're selfish and if we stand up for our rights we're aggressive and "unfeminine" and if we don't we're typical weak females and if we want to get married we're out to trap a man and if we don't we're unnatural and because we still can't get adequate safe contraceptive but men can walk on the moon and if we can't cope or don't want a pregnancy we're made to feel guilty about abortion and ... for lots and lots of other reasons I am part of the women's liberation movement.

Is the Juice really worth the Squeeze?

By: Sara Amin
January 2007

Is it me, or others, I wish to please?
Do I know what I want? What can I gain?
I ask, is the juice really worth the squeeze?
Do my choices portray only my glees?
Are my goals my goals, or do others reign?
Is it me, or others, I wish to please?
The quest for triumph brings me to my knees,
Almost too often, efforts seem in vain,
I ask, is the juice really worth the squeeze?
Father, teacher, so many to appease,
All forces around me yank on the chain,
Is it me, or others, I wish to please?
The many attempts now seem just a tease,
Failures in private and public bring pain,
I ask, is the juice really worth the squeeze?
I see the door to success, but no keys,
Can someone give a hand, I stand in rain,
Is it me, or others, I wish to please?
I ask, is the juice really worth the squeeze?

Soul-Searching

I love big. Family, friends, boyfriends, colleagues.
I believe in the good in people. And I believe we can all be bad.
I find in others what I do not see in myself, and I appreciate it for what it can teach me.
I live for my family and for the bright future of the family I will create.
I cherish the way I was raised and the opportunities I was given. I understand that many people in my life were raised differently and not given the same opportunities, but were in fact raised beautifully and given different opportunities.

I sometimes talk in circles. I sometimes don't know what I'm saying. I sometimes push off the big issues until they are too huge to recover from. In relationships, friendships and work.
I am smart. People smart. Book smart. Philanthropy smart. Socially smart.
I spent many years making rash decisions. That was fun. I no longer do that.

I don't stick up for myself enough. Regardless of what I know to be true in my heart and/or mind, it's easy for me to let others guide me in certain directions. It's been fun. I will no longer do that.

I am a daughter. A friend. A girlfriend. A colleague. A sorority sister. A biological sister. A philanthropist. A dreamer. A comedian. A dancer. Most of all, I am Sara Amin. I am proud of my past, getting comfortable in my present, and looking forward to my future.

Hospital Visit - March 2012

Hi everyone,

You may have heard bits & pieces of what happened last week, so I just want to take some time and let you know the whole story (off of Facebook).

On Wednesday, while at one of my client's staff meetings, I started having severe chest pains around 2:30 p.m. that lasted over an hour. At 3:45 p.m., my client made the executive decision to call THE ASSOCIATED's HR Director, who called Hatzalah (Jewish emergency services in Baltimore) and came over right away from the HR office. Hatzalah performed an EKG (heart test) and started an IV line and oxygen. There were two abnormalities on the EKG that led them to insist I go to Sinai hospital.

One of my closest colleagues, Jenny Seidman, followed the ambulance and when we arrived at the hospital, my vitals were taken (looked normal) and another EKG was taken. Then began the fun… 3 hours in the waiting room… finally being taken back to a room at 8:00 p.m.

My primary nurse Ami hooked me up to a heart monitor and blood pressure machine and a nice man (I forget his name) took x-rays. Then another nurse Lindry came to attempt to take blood. That didn’t work so they called two more nurses, Ellsworth and Erica. After 30 mins of poking and prodding, they finally got it through the IV in my hand. (P.S. I hate getting blood drawn, as was evident by my colorful language, nail marks left on Ellsworth and disdain for Jenny for being allowed to drink water when I was not.) At that point all we could do was sit and wait for the results, which took 2 hours.

Tim arrived around 9:30 p.m. to relieve Jenny of her duties (but not before she threatened my life if I did any work that night). The doctor, William, ruled out anything with my lungs & heart and believes it is a severe muscle pull/spasm, more along the chest wall than inside (possibly from stress, possibly from a sudden start of exercise). He discharged me around 11:00 p.m. and of course, Tim followed me home so I didn't have to leave my car in Baltimore. It was suggested that I take a few days to rest, but otherwise I should be fine.

I did not go to work on Thursday and I only lasted a few hours on Friday because tight clothing (including bras) really hurt when pressed against my chest and deep breaths remained a strain. I tried a bit of grocery shopping cardio today and felt alright, so I know that a bit more rest and I'll be back to normal. I hope to take my first longer walk outside on Monday evening.

Thank you thank you thank you for your phone calls, texts, emails, Facebook messages and general concern. While I'm obviously going to live, it was quite a week and I'm now trying to catch up on the past few days of life. I'm sure I'll talk to each one of you soon!

Love,

Sara