March 3 Rev Cathy Zappa

Today's honoree is someone whom I just learned about recently. Her name is Cathy Zappa.


She is an Episcopal priest serving at The Cathedral of St Philip in Atlanta who is also the spiritual director of the only woman on Georgia's Death Row. [ that is fodder for another essay entirely}


Rev Zappa, as a prison  chaplain, ministers to and with some of society's most-despised citizens. While I do not condone what many of the people in America's penal system have done, I DO believe it is our duty as citizens of a civilized society to respect the dignity of each and every person. And ESPECIALLY as people of faith, those of us who follow Christ as our Lord and Savior are MANDATED to serve the downtrodden and the despised. There are many examples in the four Gospel lessons of Jesus our Savior serving those  in his society that were "untouchables". Whether we like it or not, we are also called to do the same here and now.


I shall admit that prison ministry is NOT something that I am called to do. But all of us can support those such as Rev Zappa who ARE serving among those in our prison systems. She is doing what very few people will do and for her service I commend her.


Amen.

#50shadesisabuse

I know many women adore the series '50 Shades' But for me, these books are yet another example of mass media objectifying women. It is not so much the BDSM that repels me, as is the total asshole of a character that is C. Grey.  


The author apparently { I have not read the books and do NOT plan to do so] tries to create  Grey as a brooding & mysterious type . Yet from the few detailed analyses that I've read, he is  neither brooding nor mysterious.


Why do so many young women find assholes sexy? Why do so many men wish for submissive, mousy women without minds of their own?  Although I've never been attracted to  'bad boys' many of the women I know are or have been attracted to these men. I LIKE and always have LIKED  nice guys.


I believe that the "50 Shades" series and other books/movies like this help perpetuate the ideal man as an asshole and ideal woman as a meek, mild , brainless creature. Why are not more women drawn to young Katniss in the Hunger Games series; she's independent, strong [ physically and mentally} and compassionate. THAT  is a literary heroine whom I can try to emulate instead of the naïve and superficial Ana Steele? I do not understand.


Time to change the paradigm, y'all.


Peace out, and Happy Valentines' Day.

proud to live life #likeagirl

My favorite Super Bowl Sunday ad was not funny, too high-tech, nor did it involve a celebrity.  Instead, my favorite commercial had a simple yet poignant message: Why and when did the phrase " Like a girl" become so derogatory? There is nothing wrong with being a female human, but even now, girls and women are fed negative ideas about what doing things " like a girl" means.


Girls and women are NOT " wimpy"


Our bodies are different than the bodies of boys and men, but that does not mean that we are any less capable of athletic, academic and creative success.


If we work hard enough, we can become just as successful in our business and professional lives as our male colleagues. Gender does not preclude success or failure in ANYTHING.


Also: since when do the same qualities in boys and men that people attribute as ' leadership, become " bossy" when girls and women show the same traits?


Since when are strong-willed, independent women who think for themselves  seen as " less female' than women who are not as strong?


I am really tired of the veiled and not-so-veiled misogyny that I see often.


Get out of the freaking 18th century.




SEM

Remembering: The " Philadelphia 11" 40 years later

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the anniversary of womens' ordination in The Episcopal Church. While I have only been a member of this Church for approximately 6 years, I am glad to know that my Church has been ordaining women for longer than I've been alive.


Maybe some men do not understand what a huge deal it is for we women to acknowledge this important day. Because we Episcopalians ordain both men & women whose calls are affirmed by the wider Church


This quote sums up my feelings towards what those brave women did 40 years ago:


"Women in all orders of ministry--baptized, deacons, priests, and bishops--can walk proudly today in whatever kind of shoes they want to wear because of what happened here 40 years ago."--from the Presiding Bishop's homily on the 40th anniversary of women's ordination.


This morning I had the privilege of serving at the altar at Beach Church. Our altar party consisted of men & women of all ages and life experiences. I probably will get in trouble for making this statement, but I truly believe that God does not take a human's gender into consideration when God calls someone into any type of ministry.


 Today I was reminded that it is an honor and a privilege for ALL we Christians to serve God at the altar. We are all called to do our best in whatever ministry we take part in every day. This morning I found myself standing taller and prouder as I walked with a torch in hand during the procession and recession. I did not think about my being " a girl"  & I highly doubt that any of my sister & brother parishioners did either.


I am " a girl" , and a very feminine one. While I do not hide the fact that I am feminine, neither do I think that my gender should hinder me or any other woman, in discerning how to serve God.


When I serve at the altar as a layperson, I do not concern myself with my own identity. Altar servers & clergy dress in vestments in part to " blend in" together so that no one serve stands out. Altar serving, like all other ministries, should be about pleasing God.


All the fuss that some Christians make regarding the gender of those serving at the altar seem to miss the point of what we are called to do. ALL we baptized believers are called to spread the love of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. We are not to make disciples of only men, nor are we to make disciples of only women.


O God, thank You for the witness of those brave women in Philadelphia .May other brave men & women work hard to empower all persons to live out their baptismal covenant in any way they feel led by You. In the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, Amen.




"

Divergent!

Due to some " technical difficulties" at our house last evening, I spent most of the time reading a new novel that I 'd bought  just for the occasion. It is so good that I've ALREADY completed almost half of the book in one three-hour setting.


The book is _Divergence_ the first novel in a trilogy of novels by author Veronica Roth. Some bookish friends have been recommending these novels to me , so I FINALLY bought an old-fashioned paper copy of the first book in the trilogy yesterday afternoon.


Take my advice & READ THIS NOVEL!


I will not add any plot spoilers---so please take my advice & read this novel if you have not yet done so.


The trilogy is geared towards teen and young adults, but the storyline is one that any book-nerd can appreciate. The lead character Beatrice  or" Tris" as she is called in the novel, is a heroine on par with Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger. She's smart, compassionate and tries really hard to do what is right. But she is not without flaws.


Growing up, I had too damn few literary role models that were girls & women. During my pre-teen and early teen years I wasted so much time reading such " teen-lit" as Sweet Valley High and The Babysitter's Club" books. In retrospect, I see now that these books { especially SVH} are poorly written and lack any sort of strong female characters. It is heartwarming to see so many strong, smart & capable female literary characters are emerging in the YA fiction genre.


Thank you, Ms Roth, for creating a novel series featuring a very well-done yet believable female lead character.

Googled Chrome & A blonde Black Widow.

I finally gave in to they hype & installed Google Chrome as my browser. To be honest, the only reason I did so was to use the photo-editing that ONLY is supported by Chrome.

Say WHAT?!

As an aside, here is a photo { taken by Best Dude} of yours truly all dressed for Boo At The Zoo yesterday. yep---I was Marvel's " Black Widow" .

Clearly I did not choose to gamble on " wash-out" hair color---so MY version of the Marvel heroine is a blonde.

I'm a HUGE " Avengers" connoisseur & my two favorite crime-fighting weirdos are Iron Man{Robert Downy Jr just makes  Tony Stark/Iron Man even more *YUMMY* to me & Black Widow.  As a feminist, I can appreciate how BW can kick-ass along with the male Avengers yet retains her femininity.

I usually do not dress for Halloween, but since I volunteered to staff the Relay For Life of Small Beach Town on Saturday I played along as one of my favorite Avengers. 

My autism , coupled with my natural introversion, makes it REALLY hard for me to chat with strangers, especially in a busy setting such as a zoo. But I "toughened up" { OOO-RAH} & challenged myself to spend two full days { Saturday & the Saturday prior} to passing out candy at the Relay booth. Guess what? It was FUN!  My goal is to break into more social situations with more ease. Normally I am all right among people whom I know ---it is finding myself among strangers that makes me want to find a rock under which to hide.

I did well for the 5 hours I was at the zoo. But by the time I arrived home I felt mentally AND physically tired. However, I am glad that I put myself " out there" in the community . It was a lot of fun. As a matter of fact If it were not for Mass this morning I would have gone back to the zoo today.

Anyhow, I do not understand what the hype is surrounding Google Chrome. In as far as I can tell, Chrome looks & operated just like the older version of Google.

That is all for today. Shalom, y'all.

feminism is not always about hating men

I found a quote today that speaks to my philosophy on feminism.

" You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman." ~ Jane Galvin Lewis

I am a feminist. Yet I would rather be the lone woman among a group of men than among a group of women. I derive more positive energy from mixed-gender groups than I do in a group of humans of my own gender.

Some of my dearest friends are men and I value them as much as many of my feminist-leaning friends value their gal pals. In some ways men make better friends than women, as there is not the competition that is often seen among friends of my gender.  Gloria Steinem is the perfect example of the fierce man-hater who is held on the proverbial pedestal by the mainline feminist movement. Now I know full well that she's an icon in womens' history but I disagree with her on many issues.

I do count several women among my closest confidants, but unlike many women I know I do not actively seek out new girl friends. Actually, I don't seek out many new friendships at all & am pleasantly surprised when one forms.

It baffles me that some women think that   "womens' equality must mean man-hating.  Is not the purpose of the womens' movement EQUALITY with men? How can one profess to be equal with men & still harbor such bitterness towards the opposite gender? Think about it: we are all HUMAN & to me the fight for equality should not place any one group of humans as " better than" another group.

Of course my version of feminism calls for me to take pride in being a woman. Unlike many in the "femi-nazi" school of thought, I totally enjoy dressing and behaving like a traditional woman.

For instance, today I went shopping for a new dress. I am very particular about dresses & sought out a dress that was longer in length . { It was quite a hunt, but I did find a pretty dress that met my specifications}I also enjoy cooking good meals for Best Dude. Now of course I do not feel that its " the woman's job" to enjoy cooking  and that " women MUST look like women" but it IS part of who I am.

As a feminist I feel its my prerogative to be the sort of female person that I see fit.  I do not think that man-hating is doing anything to help women. More importantly, I love Best Dude AND all my guy friends & feel grateful for their presence in my life.

For all those " Not-Moms" out there...

One of my very least-favorite social conventions is that of the bridal or baby shower.

I hate attending these social events. First of all, my personality is more suited to events where there will be a mixed -company guest list. I'm not fully comfortable in social situations that encompass only women.

Bridal & baby showers ,, to me at least, re-enforce the old idea of what is " feminine" . I am not married & am not a mother & these events { and the anxiety that leads up to me attending these events}is cause for a lot of sadness.

Next year will be my 20th high school reunion & some of the women in my class have children who are teenagers already. Almost all of them are parents whose Facebook feeds are filled with cute photos of happy children. I'm happy for them, truly I am. But at the same time I cannot help but wonder what my classmates think of me. Am I **the crazy dog-lady**. ?

When I was little I wanted children. I've been told that I am quite talented in the area of working with young people & Until a few years ago felt that motherhood might be a reality for me.

It " ain't" happening. Motherhood is not part of the plan.

Most of the time I am okay with my non-motherhood. Best Dude & I adopted a dog who is pretty much like " our child".  Being childless allows for much " Sarah time" that I otherwise would not have had I been able to be a mother. In short, my life is great as it is & I'm blessed in so many ways. We have a full & rich life together.

But on occasion I feel a wave of incomprehensible grief wash over me regarding my childlessness . Usually this grief occurs around the time that I anticipate attending a baby shower.

Perhaps it is natural to mourn what " never will be" , but I feel like a { for lack of a better word in my vernacular} a " wuss". Like it or not, women who are not mothers are looked at differently than women without offspring. Sometimes I feel that there is a figurative & literal " Moms' Club" which I will never be asked to join. Childless men in our society are not looked upon as " less-than" but those of us who are women without children{ be our childlessness be a result of a lifestyle choice or a medical issue}

Another contributing factor is my ethnicity. My Mother is Jewish & even though I am Christian: part of my " cultural DNA" is that of the Eastern European Jews.  Progeny are a VERY BIG DEAL to Jewish people due in part to their religion & I grew up with an idealized & rather narrow view of what constitutes as a " family".

But I know that familes are different and that my God-given gift of working with young people has not been wasted. I've taught Sunday school, worked as a babysitter for two of the BEST kids{ who are now young adults} & currently serve as an advisor to my parish's youth group. In addition to my work with young people, I am a very good dog-mom.

We childless & child-free people are not freaks of nature. Our families are just as valid as are more traditional family units.

Amen.

Tank Tops! I haz tank tops!

I turned 37 years old last week----but I feel 37 years YOUNG.

This past year and a half of the fitness journey that I've named Operation Strong-is-the-New-Skinny has been a slow ride towards my goals.

However, I must say that I am fit enough in my arms, back & shoulders to wear the new tank tops that my parental units bought for my birthday without looking like a skeleton.


Photo courtesy of my Instagram account. :O)

 The cover has been removed from over the lap pool area at my fitness centre, so I've taken out the mask & swim fins this past week. I can tell that my body mass has increased, as I float much better than I did at this time last year.  Also, I , um " fill out" my bathing suit top {NATURALLY, I might add} better this year.  But more important than looking better---I feel much better & my stamina is up.

I'm still quite a long way from my goal of being " competition-ready" but I will achieve that goal in due time. Right now I celebrate the fact that I EARNED shoulders & pecs that allow me to wear tank tops & bikinis without shame.

I'm on candid webcam...

I finally bought myself an inexpensive web-camera for my laptop. This afternoon, while Best Dude was  out working in the garage, I set up the software  & took my first "test-shot" on the web cam. It has a wide-angle lens, so the photos/videos are not quite to scale. I edited it with some fun text graphics.

 Normally I do not wear my eyeglasses for pictures, but I needed to see what I needed to do in order to make the device work.

Here it is:

#ThisIsWhatAFeministLooksLike: Ms Mamie Hixon

Today's " she-ro" isn't world-famous. As a matter of fact, I doubt that too many people outside of the Pensacola metropolitan Statistical Area's writing/literature community even know her name. She, however, is the only literature professor at UWF whose works have affected me in a positive way.

Ms Hixon teaches at the University of West Florida's English & World Languages department.  In addition to teaching, she also oversees the writing laboratory at UWF.

I met Ms Hixon when I was a student in her class . I needed an American Literature elective & there was room in her "Black Women Writers" course.

Her pedology involves asking students to analyze the selected works of literature themselves, rather than to produce " research papers" full of analysis' from other { mostly dead , white men} people . To me, this is the way literature SHOULD be taught. I never understood the reasoning behind making students regurgitate

I also love how Ms Hixon dresses. She is the only woman I know who can pull off the muumuu & still remain professional.

Ms Hixon & I agreed to disagree regarding the fact  that there are *other* American minorities that are worthy of an academic discipline. Her main focus is on the plight of African-Americans throughout the history of the United States{ a plight that is very real to me, for personal as well as academic reasons} I admire Ms Hixon's zest for her heritage.

Teachers of English rock my world!

#ThisIsWhatAFemnistLookLike:Amelia Earhart

I've always been fascinated by the mechanics of flight. My autism makes flying on commercial airlines very challenging, but the mechanics of flying machines  hold my attention.

Today's " she-ro" is Amelia Earhart. Ms Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean .

She valued independence & although married, referred to her relationship with George Putnam as " a partnership with dual controls".

n 1937 Ms Earhart disappeared . No proof of her death or survival of a crash has been found to this day, although many theories abound on the Internet & among flight enthusiasts.



Source: http://www.ameliaearhart.com

#ThisIsWhatAFeministLooksLike : St Teresa of Avila.

Today's " she-ro" lived a long time ago.

St Teresa of Avila, born in Spain in 1515 and died on October of 1582. The Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion & the Lutheran Churches all recognize her in their Calendar of Saints.

Teresa is known as an earl reformer of the Church. Along wit St John Of The Cross, she was active in the reform of monasteries throughout Europe. She was also a prolific writer & an esteemed Christian mystic.

Along with St Catherine of Seina, Teresa of Avila is one of only two women who are considered Doctors of the Church. St Teresa is known as the patron saint of: headache suffers & Spanish Catholic writers. Her feast day is celebrated on October 15.

Source: http://www.catholic.org

Teresa of Avila, unlike many of the female saints of long ago, was not martyred. She is also proof that one person can make a huge difference in reforming and/or restructuring the institutional Church. the Church needs people who are willing to step out & call the institution out when it becomes errant.  the Body of Christ is a living Body &should grow and change--- as do all living entities.

Amen.

#ThisIsWhatAFeministLooksLike : Lisa Bloom

Through the miracle that is Facebook technology,I've had the pleasure of getting to " know" TV commenter, lawyer & author Lisa Bloom on a slightly more personal level.  I have not yet met her in person, but  wnt to do so! Although I am a carnivore, if Lisa Bloom came to town & we could have lunch together I would totally eat at Pensacola's only vegan eatery!

I first became aware of Ms Bloom from her work as a CNN legal analyst. She isn't afraid to state her legal analysis & does not always tout " conventional wisdom" in her legal analysis.

She has written two books, both of which I own & have read.

Her first book , _Think_ discusses the " dumbing down" of American girls & women & ho this phenomena has and will be detrimental to society. In the second part of this tome, Ms Bloom offers some great suggestion as to help girls  and women reclaim our brainpower.

The second book, _Swagger_ focuses on the " thug culture" that surrounds us and how THIS is detrimental to society. Again, she suggests way that we can combat this thug culture and teach boys and young men how to BE men.

Brava, Ms Bloom. Brava.

#ThisIsWhatAFeministLooksLike: ++Katharine Jefferts-Schori

 

In late May of 2009 I had the pleasure to met Katharine Jefferts-Schori, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church a  Mass in Pensacola shortly after my confirmation into the Church. She is the first woman in history to led a part of the Anglican Communion.

Yes, that experience was *THAT* awesome and one that I will not forget.

Bishop Katharine {as she wishes to be addressed} is a " second-career"clergy person with a Doctorate in Oceanography. She is also an accomplished pilot & author of several books{ all of which I have bought & read.]

It is true that some people in the Church do not admire our Presiding Bishop nd he style of leadership.Some event think that women have no place in the episcopate. :O(  This saddens me, but one of the lessons I've gleaned from reading Bishop Kathrine's books is that there is room in the Church for EVERYONE.  On of my favorite quotes by my Presiding Bishop speaks to this thought.

"Look for the blessing in the person that drives your crazy."

It is hard for me to follow this simple advice, especially when faced with people who subscribe to bigotry  & {sometimes} downright hatred for those who are different from the majority of people.  Narrow-minded people " drive me crazy" but I need to remember that all of us have life stories that contribute to our worldview . Reading all of Bishop Katharine's book has brought me to a better understanding of how I should treat those whose opinions differ greatly from mine.  She's also taught me , via her books} to open my heart more towards actively participating in world mission.

There is "room at the Table" for all of us. Amen.

#ThisIsWhatAFeministLooksLike: Christiane Amanpour

March is known as Womens' History Month, so all month I'll honor famous { and maybe not-so-famous-women} who have made an impact on my growth & development. There are several women who have affected my growth as a person & they deserved to be honored.

Today I honor Christiane Amanpour of CNN & ABC News fame.

I remember following Ms Amanpour's career since she joined CNN back when it only showed repeating newsreels every hafhour{ or something like that} When I was a child in the 1980's I remember thinking how cool it would be to report from war zones around the world as she did. Actually, I still wish I could travel to war zones to report back to an international news readership/viewership such as CNN/Time.

I didn't , however, really take note of Ms Amanpour's work until the Bosnian crisis. I still have vivid memories of Ms Amanpour challenging President Clinton regarding the situation in Bosnia ad admiring her "chutzpah" in how she handled questioning the President.



I still make a point to watch all her in-depth work as well as her assignments in far-off places.