Stacy Pena's blog
What a Difference a Year Makes
By Stacy Pena on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 12:39
The trip to summer camp - take two.
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What the Movies Say About the Modern Girl/Woman
By Stacy Pena on Mon, 01/25/2010 - 22:57
Have you heard how three-of-a-kind makes a trend? I’ve seen three movies in the last few weeks that collectively are giving me a sinking feeling. It’s making me wonder: does modern cinema reflect our culture? Do the movies hold up a mirror to who we are? Or do the movies simply force upon us story lines they think will appeal?
Here’s the theme that’s bugging me: post-modern girl as controlling and regimented, a woman who has planned her future long before she stands at its steps. A woman who manipulates the world around her to conform it to who she thinks she should be. Who she expects to be—or who others expect her to be.
The movies? Leap Year, about a desperate, successful urbanite planning to propose to her boyfriend to force marriage upon him. Post Grad, about a driven girl who’s always been able to get exactly what she wants—until she finds herself unable to land a job after college. And Vicky Cristina Barcelona, about two friends heading to Spain for the summer, one of whom has her plans for a white-picket future turned upside down when she meets a sexy painter.
Why You Need to See The Blind Side
By Stacy Pena on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 17:45
Run, don’t walk, to see The Blind Side. Quick, before it leaves the theaters! I recommend this movie not because it’s an inspiring story about a young inner-city black man who makes a life for himself through determination and hard work, although it’s that. And not because it’s a heartwarming story about the kindness of a family who helps someone less fortunate, although it’s that too.
Birthday Reflections on a Bikini Body
By Stacy Pena on Mon, 11/16/2009 - 12:01
Today I turn 43. I have the pleasure of celebrating my birthday in Mexico with some of my closest friends. We’re actually gathered here for a birthday that’s not my own, but my friend’s. She’s turning 40. There are 12 women here in Cabo San Lucas, between the ages of 35 and 47. Fun, delightful women of all shapes and sizes. And guess what – we’re all wearing bikinis.
Limiting Yourself Can Mean Less Pay at Work
By Stacy Pena on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 11:35
When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, we heard a great deal about how men made more money than women for the same jobs. For some reason you hear very little about that these days, perhaps even leading to a belief that those days are over. Not so.
When the Hardest Thing to do is Nothing
By Stacy Pena on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 12:17
I’m a problem-solver. A can-do kind of person. I take the bull by the horns and make things happen. None of which helps me when it comes to my daughter and her friendship challenges.