[Granddaughters; The Dinner Party, Brooklyn Museum]
They’re hard to put into words, these beyond words, transcendent moments, aren’t they? And sometimes happen when least expected or convenient. I clearly remember being both gobsmacked by Faure’s “Messe Base” on my car radio yet annoyed that I was on Mass. Ave. during rush hour. “I don’t want to be having this religious experience here and now,” I complained to the Universe, tears running down my cheeks. “I’m on my way to work. This isn’t a good time.” (Apparently the Universe had other plans.)
Yadda yadda yadda; back to Hillary. So there I was, a couple of days ago, in the “12 Items And Under” check-out line at the Market Basket. And in a hurry. And the young, check-out woman had apparently made a cash register mistake with the customer ahead of me so needed her (female, slightly older, also Spanish-speaking) supervisor to rectify the error—and, it annoyingly turned out, to receive some slow and patient on-the-job training as well.
Did I mention I was in a hurry? But before I could begin The Loud Sighing While Waiting Thing, I suddenly was gifted with: I am watching a young woman being coached by another woman so she can do her job better. So she can KEEP her job, maybe.
And suddenly I saw this scene both as a Yay, Sisterhood feminist and as if I were an impatient, self-important Anglo who just wanted to get the hell out of there. Yup. As a man. BUT this impatient man knew he now lived in the same, post-Hillary’s “I’m getting ready to . . . video reality. So he had to be patient. He had to remember that, sadly, the Market Basket is one of the very few “careers” available to many women. That one woman taking time to help another woman might very well have been about Survival. So he had to suck it up.
Yup. Hillary, someone savvy enough to have green-lighted that clever bit o’ branding video, is running for Prez. It is a brave new world. A world in which, maybe, it could be okay for one woman to coach another woman in public.
Maybe. (Conversion moments aren’t necessarily predictive.)
Dear Patricia,
Hi, there, Patricia, my so, so very dearly special and precious white friend and sister who you are For Always so, so very much!!!!!! I love this great and enlightening blog post article of yours!!!!!! I love so how you worked hard to see the perspectives and the positioning of the cashier who made the error and her supervisor, and how you tried in such a diligent manner to have care and concern toward their possible plight in life and that they probably are very much indeed in survival mode. I was like that as a cashier when I was a lot younger back in the 1980s when I worked in liquor stores (not a healthy job for me as I am a recovering alcoholic and addict in AA and NA and I will be celebrating my 25th clean and sober anniversary in AA and NA on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 one day at a time by our Good God’s Grace), in a convenience store combined as an ice cream parlor and store, and in a donut shop after I had gone back to Ohio when I withdrew from Michigan.My precious white sister, you have such empathy and work so hard to step outside of the very parameters of the worldview in which you have been conditioned to in your enculturation as a white person-I just so love and cherish this about you, Patricia!!!!!!
I just love our Hillary Rodham Clinton!!!!!! Back in 2008 I supported our Hillary in the Iowa caucuses and I did not stop being her supporter for President-I waited until I knew for certain that she was not going to get the Democratic nomination for President and that Barack Obama was the definite choice. I remained true and loyal to our Hillary all the way through for I am an avid Hillary supporter!!!!!! I love Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders as well, sister, but I don’t think they will be running this time.
Sisterfriend, please have a very terrific, thrilling Thursday, and may all of your days be so, so very especially blessed, Patricia, my preciously dearest and special white friend and sister who you are For Always so, so very much!!!!!
Very Warmly and Sincerely For Always with Peace and Love To You For Always my white sisterfriend, Patricia, with Blessings and Even More Blessings To You For Always my white sister,
Your Christian lesbian friend and sister For Always in solidarity, Sherry Gordon
Sister, I meant to sign off by saying Your Christian lesbian black friend and sister For Always in solidarity, Sherry Gordon, for I am a black woman who has For Always loved our Hillary and supported her EVEN BEFORE our President Barack Obama (SMILE!!!!!!) To me, a woman for President comes FIRST before the black man!!!!!! I mean this with all of my very heart, and my very heart, soul, and spirit because this is just how I am, sisterfriend!!!!!!