Don’t be discouraged by this post beginning on a ‘down note’. It gets better, I promise.
This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde School Massacre and the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. We call it “Memorial Day Weekend”. Under the guise of remembering our fallen heroes from all the wars that have never failed to produce two losers, it has become the official preparation for Summer, which doesn’t officially happen until the middle of next month. But this is when the city pools open and scant(ier) clothing is seen everywhere … AND it becomes officially okay to wear white (but only until Labor Day).
If you’ve ever wondered where that edict came from, here’s your answer.
No White After Labor Day? But Why? – Farmers’ Almanac
Among the many double messages in my family, one of the most popular admonitions was ‘no showing off.’ UhHuh. Imagine naming your baby girl after that darling little rascal movie star, Shirley Temple and then forbidding her to toss her curls or tap her toes. But … I digress.
Last weekend was a big one for me, what with my Amazon book launch, the “Compose” Writing Conference, and a little gathering on Sunday afternoon of mutual friends informally celebrating the life of one who left us just weeks ago. Her husband (bless his heart) opened their home and offered us our choices of mementos – clothing, jewelry, hats, shoes, whatever we’d like that would remind of us our dear friend and keep her with us in spirit. It was a sweetly intimate afternoon of sharing stories, finger food, love & laughter. I hope it will happen for me when my time comes.
In the meantime, a humongous, enormous THANK YOU! to all of you who visited my book on Amazon this weekend. Double thanks to those who left reviews and those who plan to leave one soon. I was astonished and delighted to see it at #1 in Women’s Poetry & #2 in Women’s Bio/Memoir! As of this morning, there are 82 more copies of Arms Filled With Bittersweet out in the world than there were last week. My heart is filled with gratitude.
If you are writing, or want to be writing, I encourage you to get yourself on the mailing list for next year’s “Compose” hosted by the folks at Clackamas Community College and back in person after three years of online surrender to Covid. As always, I encountered some wonderful people and participated in great skill-building workshops. I want to direct your attention, though, to the conference’s Keynote Speaker, Eli Saslow … two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, whose powerful and provocative book, Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a White Supremist, will nudge you to think about what it takes to really embrace the “other,” and what can happen when we do. Eli Saslow is a wise elder in a young man’s body with the heart of a healer.
And last, but not least, rather than focusing all our attention on fallen heroes, let’s take a look at some who are very much alive, and who in the words of Emile Zola, have come to live out loud. Eli is definitely among those, and so is the subject of his book, Derek Black.
There is also my long-time hero, Joan Baez, who at 82 is going strong & still likes to sleep on a mattress in a tree …
Let’s not overlook Machaela Cavanaugh, the Nebraska Senator Who Filibustered for Three Weeks on Behalf of Trans Rights (and is still at it). And pay attention to this courageous mom & all the other parents who are fighting for the rights of their kids …
And the Dynamic Duo, E Jean Carroll & Roberta Kaplan (if you don’t know who they are, you haven’t been paying attention).
Poet Amanda Gorman, whose inauguration poem was just banned in Florida elementary schools. Watch for more next week about this and what is happening with book bans.
As we begin to take a deeper look at whether everyone should go to college, there is this young woman in Ohio … Samantha Frye.
And the Last Word from the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll herself. May she Rest in Peace.
So many “heroes “, so little time. Though our battles may be daily and personal, do not they deserve a medal, or a silent thank you? (I pause a moment….) ….Chisholm, Wollstonecraft, EC Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Gretchen Whitmer…so many, and men too. Also, I am pleased that my parents chose Barbara, not Dorothy!
You are so very right, Barbara … so many heroes. Thank you for adding to the list. Maybe we’ll hear from some others as well. I’ll bet we can build a pretty long list.