We Will Not Go Down

I had a whole other post planned for this morning. A discussion of some new developments in an ongoing small town brouhaha I've been involved in; D.O.O.M. as I have taken to calling it, but fate (and the internets) intervened. I'll get back to that other topic later. For now I want to share my thoughts on this video which I picked up from a link on Twitter.


Definitely the "song of the week" by Michael Heart.

It is consistently very easy to become overly involved with things that don't matter while the things that do matter are left to sit on a back burner to be dealt with by "people in authority" who "know more than we do."

Who are those people? When will they do something new?

Another song, by Ken Medema, from over 20 years ago (a song I had a little something to do with) tells the same story in a somewhat different way.

Last night as I sat watching the V-Day Petaluma performance (I'm working backstage tonight) I was most moved, for a second night in a row, by the song at the end that says "If women all over the world will join together we can put an end to war." I would like to sign up as support for THAT performance as well!

All of these things (and even my little small town tug of war) have one thing in common: the simple fact that we, as individuals should not, can not, must not, leave things to "the politicians" or "the big boys" or the "experts." Barrack's speech from back during the campaign was right... WE are the ones we've been waiting for!

Let's act like it.

Celebrate Women!

It's International Women's Day and we can (and must) celebrate it with vigor and joy despite the fact that in the U.S. we don't seem to be able have raised the day to the level of National Holiday as they have in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Three years ago I wrote a post on this day while I was still struggling to make it in post-Katrina NOLA. It still seems valid today (though I did add some names to the list of women I am thankful for). There's also a blog that I work with that has a great post about the history and the reality of this important, wonderful, and lovely day.

This afternoon, while reflecting on the women I have known and loved (and know and love) the the wonderful poem Bread and Roses came to mind. Written by a man, but most famously sung by Judy Collins, it was the inspiration for Mimi Farina's wonderful organization which brings "hope, healing and music" to people in need.

The song is something that I first learned in the midst of the anti-nuclear protests of the early 80s Reagan years. but which stays with me, and haunts me, at this present time as we dig our collective souls and bodies out of the pit that Dubya built. It is always important to remember that we need food, but we also need art, and to me a day like today serves to bring that more to the forefront of my consciousness than some other occasions.

As Allen Toussaint wrote (and the Pointer sisters sang) "Do respect the women of the world. Remember you all had mothers!" I would like to add that some of us also had daughters... who we are very very proud of.