Guilt Trip - Kasey Edwards

'Life is not a measuring stick, ' a school guidance counsellor told Kasey Edwards thirty years ago.

Well, that turned out to be a lie.

Now in her forties, Kasey reflects on how being a woman often feels like a test. One she flunks. From her body to her mothering skills, relationships and career, Kasey has managed to feel guilty about pretty much everything. And let's not even mention the epidural, elective caesarean and baby formula.

Like most of us, she used to think that her 'failures' were all her fault - that she just sucked at everything. But then she realised that this whole business of being a woman has been rigged from the start. No woman ever measures up.

Men have to do something really bad to be crippled by guilt. All women have to do is eat a piece of cake, raise their voice or allow their kids to play with an iPad.

In Guilt Trip, Kasey explores the shame she shouldn't have to feel, and says out loud: 'I am not the problem here. And neither are you.'

'When I first stumbled upon Kasey's articles in a daily rag two years ago, all I felt was relief. Thank GOODNESS someone is saying this stuff out loud, I thought: this stuff that rattles around in our heads, unspoken, often unchallenged. Kasey's writing is thoughtful, sharp as a whip, entertaining, and in moments just plain heart-breaking. This is important and modern story telling. Thank you Kasey.' --Clare Bowditch