My List: As Long As Any Woman's List
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
"Pissed off women move mountains." - Me (Vanessa Burnett)
I see that a whole lot of my women Facebook friends are sharing their stories of icky man interactions. Assault. Rape. Harassment. Molestation. And so on.
I'm not sharing: I just don't have the energy. The list is too damn long.
I told some people I loved this year that that list is one reason I was floored they could vote for a president who ADMITTED to doing some of those things to other women. They told me the media blew his words out of proportion.
When I told THAT story to another person I love, I was told that "that's how men talk."
Bullshit.
That's how men in power talk. That's how a man who is threatened by women talks. A man not grounded enough in his own self worth that he has to find it in power over others.
The fractures in this country will continue to deepen until we can all find ourselves worthy enough to not be threatened by others. Until we can HEAR pain when someone shares it. Until we can actually empathize. Until we can admit our mistakes.
Until we can see that we are all souls.
I'd love to think we could get there. But let me tell you something: that is a long-ass road. Families and friendships are changing as these fractures spread. I've done a hell of a lot of grieving this year, and I know I'm not alone. Some of the family and friends I moved home to be around are now people I can't be around.
I don't know the way forward. I'm not here today to spread hope and light and shit. I'm here to tell you as a woman that my list is as long as any other woman's list. And y'all should know: pissed off women move mountains.
Your vote matters. Your words matter. Your empathy matters. Your support - or lack thereof - matters. And you can damn well bet that we see you.
If you're not with us, exactly where the hell are you?
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UPDATE... I have to add this: men who think women don't know how men talk are also not paying attention. To US. I've worked in male-dominated fields my entire damn life. I freaking know men. Maybe better than YOU.
Men are NOT all assholes. Seriously. If you are a man and the men you know (or you) talk this way, then I'm telling YOU: all y'all need to up your game. As a (healthy) (male) fire (chief) friend says: "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."
EVOLVE. We'll back your evolution. It's well past time.
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NOTE: This post was originally published on my personal Facebook page on 10/11/2017. Comments and discussion are on that post.
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