Skip to main content

Powerful Women

Last night I was following an event on Twitter and enjoying the banter between some very intelligent and witty local folks. Who happen to be men. I attempted to join in. I was ignored. Soon after, another woman responded and was dismissed as "whining." The conversation continued amongst the men. It was intelligent and witty. And it was clearly a conversation that they were having amongst themselves that they perceived was just for them, I guess. At a party it would be rude to cut in, but Twitter might not be the best place to hold a private conversation.

What do you think?

This is just a little thing, as tiny as the tiniest pebble in your shoe. But, as a self-professed miniaturist, it symbolized for me how much of our world still sees men at the heart of power. Their conversation is the conversation. I know, I know--a big leap. But I'm clearly on A Mighty Girl kick this week. And speaking of mighty girls:

A Throwback Thursday offering--Xena, Warrior Princess. Here you see a fourth-grade girl at the height of her confidence, before adolescence moves in and she begins to question and self-sabotage her powers. This is the age when you believe you are Xena. There are no limits. (And you believe that your mother, with negligible art and sewing skills, can make the costume from scratch. And she does.)

Howard County has some mighty and powerful women. My younger daughter is growing up seeing their contributions to our community, benefiting from their talents and example. And yet she will still have those experiences where she realizes she is not truly penetrating into the conversation, and that her voice is not being heard.

So for her and for all those women I admire so much, I am going to have a little fun and turn an earlier meme on its head.

Make your own. Put yourself in the picture. Choose the topic of the conversation. Be your own Super Hero.

Just make sure to keep an ear out for others who might want to join in.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more