Hilarious Activism 05/12/2010

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Life seems so grim here on Earth lately. We all are acutely aware of the immediate need for epic changes. This week I came across this video from the Righteous Mothers who remind us that it doesn't hurt to incorporate humor in our work, no matter how serious we are. Kudos to the Righteous Mothers for their brilliant lyrics and beautiful harmonies.

 

Surprising News 01/12/2010

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  Today I'd like to introduce you to three organizations that embody the spirit of advocacy and activism we crones (of any age) want to support and contribute to whenever possible. This will be a brief introduction to the amazing work of women around the world that we can return to for more discussion at a later date.

The first is CodePink and the Pink Ladies who are protesting the war and the corporate greed that fuels war. They often manage to insert themselves, wearing pink and carrying large pink posters, into a press conference just as the cameras start to roll – much to the embarrassment of the greedy CEO of the moment.

The next organization is Women for Women International who believe “that when women are well, sustain an income, are decision-makers, and have strong social networks and safety-nets, they are in a much stronger position to advocate for their rights. This philosophy and our commitment to local leadership build change and capacity at the grassroots level”. I would like to strongly urge each of you to spend some time on their website. This group and their clear-thinking mission deserve any assistance we can offer them!

The last group and the surprise of the week is the Granny Peace Brigade of Philadelphia. They’ve been on the protest scene for two years in the streets and on the Internet. They are more than willing to be arrested for their actions against the war and campaign against recruitment in high schools and college campuses. They are a brilliant and creative force to be reckoned with as they re-define the traditional (patriarchal) concept of a grandmother. Additionally, they have their own YouTube channel with songs written by the Grannies such as: “No War Toys”.

By some stroke of synchronicity, one of the Grannies showed up in my underwriter’s studio over the weekend and the two of them are now in cahoots, planning to bring this group of Crone Activists to the streets for the next march of the Granny Peace Brigade.

We’ll keep you posted….

 

First Post! 12/04/2009

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Why write?

Well, it seems I've been hemmin' an' hawin' long enough and I'm ready...

The first question is: why write? why even bother? Why not just settle in to sitting by the fire, slowing down and minding the grand-kids the way the patriarchy wants me to? Have I not earned a rest? and the opportunity to let my mind slowly turn to mush? And what can one middle-aged (or older) woman actually do?

These are rhetorical questions, obviously - no one opts for dementia or the break down of the body. But what then?  What should one do?

That is the nut of the matter and exactly why we are here. Women in the 'second half' of life have a unique opportunity to change things if they choose. In most cases the children have been launched and the hormones settled and women have more time to use their hard-won wisdom effectively and more venues in which to employ their wisdom and the new energy that comes after menopause.

There has been an increase in positive news for women lately which we are going to examine,  and the harder questions such as: Is Oprah really ageist? (kidding - of course she is) A better question would be: how is it possible that genital mutilation still exists in this world?

Along the way,  I hope we can all find ways to slide sweeping changes past, right under the patriarchy's noses, in the time honored way of women everywhere.