Sherry. Hey. So glad I was browsing and found you on Medium.
“But I’m envious of the little girl she used to be. I’m no longer oblivious to other people’s expectations. I want to change them”
I am with you 100% on everything you wrote in your essay and in particular this line above.
Sometimes I think that all our writing about these issues of : women, gender, ageism, race, religion, country of origin, language, choice of sexual or marriage partner, climate, immigration…omg this long list is depressing and is still, as I just wrote it, incomplete…
Maybe I shoulda said: the issues of not looking like or actually being an old, white, straight male…
Yeah, sometimes I think that all we are doing is writing, talking and getting it out of our heads. Period.
And then I read that line of yours above. Rebecca Fisher said something similar in her conclusion to her excellent article on ageism. Presto, my mind formed a clear picture of the proverbial light bulb.
Eureka( does anyone say that word? Yet it fits here!)
The more we write and talk about these things. These stupid and yes, quality of life threatening issues. The one top of my list hurting 51% of the human race; the disgusting treatment of women.
The more we write and talk, the more we actually WILL act. I am certain that we have reached the boiling point. Even with (sadly) all women not supporting the equal treatment of women ( right? the truth in that stings).
I do believe that each of “us” will find ways, even small in-our-neighbourhood ways, to begin to turn talk into action.
#MeToo is a fine example of action beginning to take shape in a particular area of harm toward women. And I agree that #MeToo is about sexual AND gender violation and harassment .
All initiatives do not need to be the size of the awesome #MeToo movement. A whole bunch of tiny things( actions) all add up to big things.
I believe we are ready to move beyond “talk”. I think a lot of us do. Believing IS the first step in turning our words into accomplishment.
So yeah, have a big wedding or don’t have a big wedding. Get married or don’t. It’s a personal choice to be respected for the reason that “ one size never did fit all”.
In a society where all PEOPLE are treated as equals, “big days” in one’s life are so varied and numerous that one cannot even count them. And isn’t that just the “cat’s meow”( I added that for you, the cat snuggler😀)
Yup Sherry Mayle you sure as hell do ROCK!
