
Her Story Matters

Musings From The Trail
“Where are you
little girl with broken wings but full of hope?
Where are you
wise woman covered in wounds?
Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?
Today is the day I will not sit still and give in anymore,
today I rise.
I am bruised but I will get up and walk again,
today I rise.
I don’t care if you ignore my beauty,
today I rise.
Through the alchemy of my darkest night, I heal and thrive,
today I rise.
I move through the world with confidence and grace.
I open my eyes and am ready to face
my wholeness as a woman and my limitless capacities.
I will walk my path
with audacity,
today I rise.
I reconnect with the many aspects of myself.
I am in awe of the reality I can create.
I am a queen,
I am a healer, a wise woman, a wild woman.
I will rise and be.
I am a rebel I will wake up and fight.
I am a mother and I am a child.
I will no longer disguise my sadness and pain,
I will no longer suffer and complain.
I am black and I am white.
There’s no reason to hurt.
Where are you? Where are you?
I call upon Kali to kiss me to life.
I transform my power and anger,
no more heartache or strife.
The world is missing what I am ready to give,
my wisdom, my sweetness, my love
and my hunger for peace.
I weep with the trees and the rivers
and the earth in distress.
I rise and shine and am ready to go on my quest.
Today I rise without doubt or hesitation,
today I rise without excuses, without procrastination.
Today I call upon my sisters to join
a movement of resoluteness and concern.
Today is my call into action,
to fulfill my mission without further distraction.
Today is the day,
today I will start,
to offer the world the wisdom of my heart”
from Films for Action; filmsforaction.org
“Oh, they have done it now. They have done what thousands of feminists, hundreds of feminist organizations, and millions of women working as social and political activists over the years have not been able to do: they have harnessed the power of a thousand hurricanes.
It is not just that they have triggered the memories of every woman who has ever been sexually harassed or abused. Now they have triggered the memories of every woman who has ever had her opinions ignored or her feelings scorned. Ted Cruz pointed out in his testimony that Dr. Ford was treated with respect. I suppose he means that because they didn’t throw eggs at her.
What those men don’t understand is that being silent after hearing her speak, as though actually she had not spoken, does not show respect. Basically ignoring what she said does not show respect. Making it all about “Brett, poor baby, he is one of us and he is hurting” does not show respect. In fact, their entire strategy now rests on ignoring what she said… not even grappling with her credibility, much less allowing a further investigation or more witnesses to testify. And every woman who has ever felt that her words meant nothing, that they somehow disappeared into the air after she spoke them and simply bounced off the ears of a man or men in the room, whether she was ever touched inappropriately or not, she is triggered now.
Congratulations, Senators Grassley, Hatch, Graham, Cruz et al. You’ve done it now. I think you might have just elected the first woman president. A fierce, giant force just been awakened among us. And unlike Quan Yin sitting silently next to my television, we will not be silent. In the coming days and weeks and years, we will speak our truth. We will hear each other and we will believe each other. And this time, by men by by women alike, we will be heard.”
~Marianne Williamson
☾☽
My takeaway after watching Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh speak before the Senate Judiciary Committee:
This is an ancient “code of conduct” that has held for generations. If we want to change our world into a kinder, more compassionate place, this is what we face. The men who believe in and follow this code will not go quietly.
But neither will we. No longer will we quietly and obediently bow to their racist and sexist bullshit.
Image: Linda Black Elk
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt
AND no one can take your power without your permission. Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi and so many other warriors for justice proved that.
What do YOU care about passionately? What do you care about enough to stand up and really fight for it?
Clean Air and Water?
Reproductive Rights?
Simple Kindness?
Black Lives Matter?
Organic Food?
Legal Marijuana?
Our Constitution?
Saving the Forests?
Quality Public Education?
Solar Energy?
Drug Prices?
Economic Justice?
Feeding the Hungry?
Increasing Minimum Wage?
LGBTQ rights?
Polar Bears?
Electric Cars?
Prison Reform?
Choose one cause you passionately believe in and get out there! EXPRESS YOURSELF! Make your voice heard. IT’S TIME.
#WeAreALLPowerful #ThisIsOurDemocracy #WakeYourDragon