I'll start.

I'm happy about women because ...

Our theories were aggressively poo-poo'd by a few know-it-alls - some of whom were very dismissive and insulting.

Because of my friend's health, I have done most of the digging and filling, but was helped by a couple of young boys (one wearing a towel like a cape, and a bike helmet - our own superhero), a male and female teenager, several other women, and a couple of brave men willing to put their faith in women's ideas. (Sadly, significantly more adult men peppered us with "jokes", put-downs and "expert" commentary about what we were doing and how it would never work, though one of these men did finally end up helping out, too).

The bulk of this very hard physical labour has been done by non-drivers (including the kids) and women, which I find really interesting.

So far it's working! Where we've ditched and filled, the road is fine. Where we haven't, there are deep and dangerous gaps and chasms - some well over half a foot deep and more than a foot wide.

My friend and I have been known to go out in the rain to see how things are holding up. I've even been out at 3 a.m., playing tag with my flashlight and the worms while being pummelled by the rain, watching the water pool to the side and move along where it should. At moments, she and I are almost dancing with joy to see how efficient our theories have turned out to be.

One of our fellow road workers calls us experiential (or was that natural?) feminist scientists.

I never thought humble little ditches and flat road sections could look so beautiful. One of the best politicizing experiences of my life.

[ 21 September 2005: Message edited by: writer ]

[ 21 September 2005: Message edited by: Thalia ]

Beautiful soft sunshine in Tahsis today. A bit of a breeze bringing some high white cloud now, but it's been warm without being hot, and it's been a slow gentle day (excluding the shitstorm on the other thread). Dogs have been very laid back, they chased a bear three different times last night. Cats are become more like house cats as summer sneaks away and the crow, Corby, is a ton of fun, the neighbours call her my "easter bonnet". My daughter came down for coffee and we had a couple of real gut deep laughs and I've got some lovely halibut for supper...hey, it's all good!

I'd like to thank every woman who participated in that other thread. God, the courage, the beauty of your openness, and your refusal to be forced into appeasing or using only the language deigned to us! I think it was Skdadl who started calling us grrrrrrls, and we did grrrr where needed and yet were patient ..a fine trick, hard to learn, harder to use.

I'm also happy about women because we can be incredibly strong, determined and industrious one moment, and be loyal, supportive and comforting the next.

yu ha never seen me in ma kilt lassy

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rumrumrumrum:
Men, you must admit that we look far better in a skirt than you do. LOL

yu ha never seen me in ma kilt lassy

i've been whistled at by several young women--40's I'd say

---

(and
that's
enough
for
me.)

[ 24 September 2005: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]

I am also happy to have learned from school that all my inner turmoil was not just crazy thinking. That the world really did work the way I feel inside, and that I am not always wrong or terrible, and for this one:

"You are reacting normally to an abnormal situation".

I have a best friend, who is practically a genius and who I trust more than anyone else in the world.

I have a group of women friends and sometimes, when one of us isn't well, we intuitively gather with gifts and comfort.

Mothers make the world go round.

My favourite aunt was the first woman to get a degree in my family, and now I'm pursuing one as well, as she always encouraged me to do.

In troubled times, women saved my ass when men just wanted to fuck it.

Anne Cameron said it all so brilliantly - you know where.