I've been reading Cokie Roberts' book about the women behind our American "forefathers". (It's entitled Founding Mothers and full of great historical accounts of the exploits of the women folk who kept the plantations and businesses running while their husbands were about the business of founding our country.)
So today I'm raising my coffee mug in salute to all the women of every era who stood behind, influencing the decision makers who posed for the photo ops and occasionally made good decisions. Even.
I used to think we'd be in better shape if women ran the country, but we have a number of female legislators and governors now. People are only people. Gender doesn't necessarily make one kinder, smarter, or a wiser leader. Alas.
But if good, kind people all do something where they are, our communities can all be more hopeful. Government is too slow and ponderous to bring us a better life today or tomorrow. But we can make things better for someone else more quickly.
I will try to do something kind. I won't tazer the neighbors who are popping fireworks at midnight tonight. I must be a saint!
That's a great idea. If more of us would reach out to others, the government wouldn't have to do it for us. Good luck tonight! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's the way it used to be and it still is in a lot of ways. When the hurricanes/tornadoes fly through it's the neighbors that arrive first and help each other. When someone dies food arrives from all around to feed the family.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest challenge with the way we live today is that people don't stay in the same place as long as they used to - we move around so much these days that it's harder to really become a tight woven community. We have to really put ourselves out there right away to make that happen.
Good post. You got me thinking!
I'm so glad that you are blogging :)
Kristin - The Goat
I wonder how many of the "discoveries" and "decisions" of the past WERE actually made by women who weren't given the credit?
ReplyDeleteExample:
Most people with even rudimentary science knowledge have heard of Watson and Crick, whom we have been taught discovered the structure of DNA. However - - - they only made the first MODEL of the structure AFTER Rosiland Franklin figured it out using X-ray techniques. Who got the credit there????