The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Reconciling my Personal & Professional Lives – or Not

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    Ruth Carter

    A friend recently suggested I write a blog post about how I reconcile my professional life with the fact that I do flash mobs and wear pasties. My initial thought in response to that was “I don’t.”

    Ignite Phoenix After Hours #3 - photo by Devon Christopher Adams
    Ignite Phoenix After Hours #3 – photo by Devon Christopher Adams

    For anyone who doesn’t know, I’m a lawyer by trade, I do flash mobs with Improv AZ for fun, and yes, there are times when I appear in public wearing pasties instead of a shirt. I’m also a runner, a basset hound owner, a Star Trek geek, and a singer. My standard “uniform” is jeans and a t-shirt but my closet has everything from business suits to miniskirts and tank tops to ball gowns.

    When I say that I don’t reconcile my professional and personal lives I mean that I’m not a different person in personal and professional settings. Wherever I go, I’m always me. There may be topics I don’t bring up in certain settings, but if they come up, I’m fine with it. There’s nothing I do in public that I wouldn’t own in any situation.

    When I was first getting involved in social media professionally, I asked if I should have separate Twitter accounts for my personal and professional lives. The audience responded with an astounding “NO!” They said that people want to know the whole person so there’s no reason to separate the personal from the professional sides of my personality. They said that some people will seek me out because I’m different than others in my field – and that has totally been true! I had one person schedule a consultation with me after his daughter saw me at one of my speaking engagements. She told her dad that he’d like me because I swear.

    Have there been repercussions? I wouldn’t call them repercussions as much as natural consequences. There are people who are turned off from me because I’m bold and don’t conform to the traditional lawyer stereotype. And that’s ok. On the flip side there are people who like that I’m different and that my personal and professional lives are integrated. It’s so much easier to be one person instead of trying to maintain separate professional and personal lives.

    The only thing I do keep separate is my Facebook page. If you’re not my friend in real life, you don’t get to be my friend on my personal Facebook page. My Facebook page is where I put things that only my friends find interesting, but I’ll still own everything I post if anyone asks. If you’re not my friend in real life, you’re better off liking the law firm’s Facebook page and following me on Twitter.

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  • SALK Day 60: Bristol6 Nippies

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    Ruth Carter

    Today’s sponsor is Bristol6, maker of Nippies, my favorite brand of pasties.  Yes, I have a preferred brand of pasties.

    I discovered Nippies about five years ago.  I was a member of Arizona Women in Tune, a lesbian-identified choir in the Phoenix area.  The Pride festival was approaching, and we were given the opportunity to raise money for the choir by volunteering in the alcohol booths.  The organization earned $1 for every drink ticket we collected and the choir got to keep all of our tips.  I looked over at my choirmate and said, “So, the hotter we look, the more money we’re going to make, right?”  My friend said, “Yeah,” and without skipping a beat I responded, “Miniskirts and pasties.”  I had never owned or worn a miniskirt or pasties before then, but it seemed perfect for the occasion.   We verified that our attire would not violate the Arizona decency law before we went shopping.  We made a lot of money for our organization that night . . . and we were not the most scantily clad people in at the festival.

    I love Bristol6’s product.  I wear them a few times a year when I’m in situations where I don’t want to risk having a visible bra strap but I don’t want to “nip out” either.  They keep me contained and they’re super comfortable.  They come in a variety of colors and shapes so you can conceal them or show them off as you please.  I’m obviously a fan of the sparkly star-shaped ones, but they also come in hearts, butterflies, and x’s.  They also have a really cute line just for brides.  I’m sure some brides have worn pasties as their “something blue.” I’ve also met a lesbian bar owner with all-female bartenders who have had their employees tend bar in pasties.

    One thing I love about this product is the adhesive.  It’s super-strong, yet it doesn’t irritate my skin – and I have sensitive skin that has had bad reactions to band aids and athletic tape in the past.  I have never had to worry about my pasties falling off, even on super-hot Arizona days.  They even stay on in water.  I have worn them longer than the suggested time without any issue.  Last summer I went to the beach for about a week before my sister’s wedding and I was worried about getting tan lines that would look funny with my dress.  I’m also a body surfer so a strapless suit would be instantly around my waist the second I caught a wave.  I considered wearing Nippies and a bikini bottom, but then I found out that that would violate the California decency law.

    Bristol6 sells Nippies on their website along with nipple covers, hem tape, and double stick clothing and body tape.  They are also available at adult stores like Fascinations.

     

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Bristol6.  For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.