Welcome to Let’s Talk About It Tuesday — a safe space for minor grievances, major overreactions, and everything in between. Here’s what’s been grinding my gears the most this week:
1. Pickup Chaos:
I cannot stand parents who ignore carline directions. It’s obnoxious, sets a terrible example, and basically flashes a neon sign that says “Entitlement lives here.” Case in point: at swim practice tonight, an SUV the size of a small nation bulldozed into the one illegal spot we’ve been warned about roughly two dozen times, sat there for an hour, and then bum-rushed their kid like it was a hostage exchange.
The rules don’t exist just for when we’re running on time — they exist for when we’re not. And I’m so tired of having to explain to my kid that some people just… don’t follow them. This isn’t about an accident or a one-time emergency; it’s a failure to respect the community we’re all part of. Small? Yes. But telling. Moments like this make the decline in basic decency suddenly feel very, very real.
2. Dentist Trauma:
I went to the dentist. They drilled a hole so deep I swear I saw my childhood flash before me. Then they leaned in and whispered, “You might have some major pain or need more extensive work.” Meanwhile, I’m sitting there full of gauze, nodding like I’m fluent in dental trauma.
Listen, I don’t want to call the dentist a scam… but it’s not not giving scam. They’re pricing this out like I asked for a marble countertop instead of a molar fix. And now? I have soft enamel shame, and I’m just as traumatized as my teeth.
3. Perimenopause Panic:
Doctor’s appointment, perimenopause edition. Yes, it’s happening, and yes, my Instagram feed is overflowing with “experts” blaming every symptom under the sun — mood swings, hot flashes, brain fog… even forgetting to do laundry (which, honestly, I just might start blaming on it).
Why do we treat aging women as if every ache, gray hair, or lapse in memory needs a TED Talk? Perimenopause isn’t a miracle diagnosis for my forgetfulness or my unfinished laundry — it’s just another layer of chaos with a missing user manual.
4. Voting Vibes:
It’s Election Day, and my Garden State anxiety is peaking. I’m not here to vote-shame anyone — democracy works best when we all just show up and do the thing. But can we talk about how wild it is that every year, it feels like democracy itself is hanging by a thread and a Dunkin’ coffee?
Still, there’s something incredible about it. My friend, who became an American citizen less than a year ago, voted for the very first time today. Thinking of her walk out of that polling place with her “I Voted” sticker like it was couture — chills. In a world that feels divided, that tiny sticker still carries some serious hope power.
Altogether:
Maybe that’s the through line — chaos, cavities, hormones, and hope. We’re all just managing the mess, trying to show up anyway. Life hums along, a little cracked, a little caffeinated, and somehow still… light.
The Forty Files 