Chapter Nine
Having to explain ourselves may sometimes feel like an unnecessary burden, but doing so illuminates us not only to others but to ourselves. Lacking an answer to the ‘why’ behind who we are and what we do is indicative of one thing and one thing only: we are brainwashed.
–Dr. Abigail Rosen, The F Word: Femininity in the New Century
Carol was slow to get rid of sweaters she never wore—the once-favorite argyle, that cozy cardigan that was now a hair-and-fuzz magnet, a roll-neck that looked good in the store and nowhere else. While this tendency was a major contributing factor to her chronic lack of drawer space, the deep folds of wool were excellent hiding places. Old love notes from Sasha nestled in the scratchy sleeve of a black turtleneck sweater, a blue angora acted as her
