I bought a pile of books this weekend, all somehow revolving around the on going dialogue I’ve had in my own life with the word “feminism” (gasp!) and what it means in the course of how we live our lives, the choices we make and how we balance the things and people we want with what others want for us. I’ve noticed the past couple of years that women of all ages are coming out of the woodwork to not only find solidarity with their “sisters” in a genuine positive way (which I love!) but also to speak this word that somehow got buried and beaten over the past few decades. I don’t claim to have any answers much less all the answers but I do know that when women rise above the petty competitive bickering, which frankly, others benefit from (remember divide and conquer?) we all work better and in a more positive way. Having your girlfriend’s back is not only helpful to your girlfriend but to all of us. The rest of the world is ready to crush us at a moment’s notice so why do it voluntarily to other women and girls who struggle in the same way we all do? I’ll check back in after I’ve read Elissa Schappell’s book of short stories, “Blueprints for Building Better Girls,” and Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In: Women, Work and The Will to Lead.” Oh and I got Simon Morrison’s new book, “Lina & Serge, The Love & Wars of Lina Prokofiev” because I’m always curious how other strong women handle their lives and loves, especially during the wretched time of Stalin. Good times for all!
