STOP

I'm not sure why it is that people that I would generally consider my friends and with whom I used to spend time without any hidden agenda, now seem to only invite me to spend time with them if they stand to profit from it. I honestly do not like being invited to "parties" of any kind under the veil of friendship when the real purpose is not really to spend time with me (this is just a side benefit at best or just savvy business practice at worst). The objective of such and invitation rather is for me to come, invite any and all of my other friends too, so that we can buy something. In the past, I have felt pressured to go and to buy just one little thing (that ends up costing much more than a comparable item in a shop) so I can leave without feeling guilty. Truthfully, I am done feeling obligated and guilty. I do support women making a career from themselves. I support women in general as a hard core third waver and feminist scholar. However, I am finished with this mixing of objectives. I don't invite people over to my house saying it's a party and then show them all my writing and then try to convince them to subscribe to the journals where I publish or to buy a book in which I have written a chapter.

This all may be a consequence of me being middle-aged and living in the burbs surrounded by a lot of stay-at-home moms. Or perhaps, this is a consequence of our capitalist patriarchal society and its power to convince people that unless you make money you are not worth much. Hard to say when I've only had one cup of coffee. The moral of this post is-if you really don't want to see my shining face and chat with me at your party, but hope that I will buy something and convince all my friends to follow suit, please do not invite me over.