I'm late to comment about the recent Foreign Service blog uproar. In a nutshell, Foreign Service spouse, mom, and writer Jen Dinoia was recently removed from the State Department's recruitment blog roll for blogging about her struggle with breast cancer and specifically, her nipples.
The first reason for my silence is that I haven't had the energy or ability to keep up an
informative, chatty blog about my life in the FS and the DR
specifically. So I'm feeling a little out of the FS bloggy loop and didn't really think my blog post would matter. But the main reason is that I was afraid. I love my new job, and I didn't want to risk appearing on someone's radar.
But even if this blog post doesn't matter to anyone else, it matters to me. It's not ok for me to let this slide by. Jen was one of the first people to welcome me as an FS blogger, before I was even accepted into the Foreign Service. We are part of a community, one that has nurtured me tremendously over the past 2 years.
As I was about to join State, I took note as her husband was allowed to curtail his unaccompanied assignment to come home and be with her. I took note as she talked about the excellent medical care she received and how understanding his employer was. The Foreign Service is a lifestyle, not one person's job. And sadly, getting sick is part of life. But getting sick when your husband is on an unaccompanied tour in Iraq is a whole different ballgame. And it's good for future FS families to read, to know what they are getting into.
So I'm sorry, Jen. I'm with you.
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4 comments:
Awesome post! I completely agree and I'm so glad you got to comment on the nipple fiasco as well! :-)
Very true, honest post. I feel the same way sometimes (and definitely about this issue), so you're not alone. I think, though, that there's a way to blog 'smart' as it were, and I believe you do that well. You're a well-established member of the community, and we all understand the constraints.
Thank you! I completely understand your fear and thank you for the support...very much appreciated!
thanks all of you. Esp Jen.
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