Pumped for PR
After four years at a Midwestern university and an interval of work in the public sector, I've found one major difference in my new life as a PR professional: my feet are killing me. I thought a summer spent teaching A Midsummer Night’s Dream to international middle school students would have prepared me for long days on my feet. But, boy, was I wrong. Here we are in the 21st century still clinging to a relic from ‘50s fashion—the Leave-it-to-Beaver-Pump. My arches are screaming by 5 o’clock.
I find myself wondering: why, in a world where strong, inspirational women can be CEOs, is it still culturally expected that working women spend their days at a 45° incline? Sure, I envy my counterparts on the subway who rock their sheath dresses and 3” heels with the dexterity of a circus gymnast as much as the next gal. But, at the same time, I think the Annie Hall look is just more in line with my feminist sensibilities. So, is it time for a Pump-Burning? Maybe not. The fumes would do a number on the ozone. 
Julia B. Mellon is an intern in CJP’s New York office.