This week, well-known career blogger Penelope Trunk bravely told the story of her two abortions on her blog Brazen Careerist.
Even more interestingly, she connected abortion to career. The entry’s title is “What’s the connection between abortion and careers?”
In today’s emotionally charged climate, it takes a lot of guts to tell a story like Trunk’s. Not surprisingly, she’s gleaned 335 comments as of this writing.
Trunk says she had her abortions to preserve her career. But she also admits she is not sure her life would have turned out differently had she not had them.
I have known near and dear ones whose abortions were at least in part prompted by that same desire to preserve their careers. I also know one young woman with a thriving career who made the courageous choice to give up her baby in an open adoption.
This week I also watched Jon Stewart and Mike Huckabee debate the abortion issue. Stewart admitted that of all the “liberal” positions, his pro-choice stance is the one his feelings are the murkiest on (for the record, I don’t think he used the phrase “liberal positions”).
Stewart pointed out early on that it just doesn’t make a lot of sense for men to debate and make policy on the issue. They are not the ones directly affected.
That’s why it is so important for women on both sides of the issue to speak out — to tell their stories.
I applaud Penelope Trunk for having the courage to tell hers.