[Shipyard, Gloucester, MA; 2016]
On the thirty-first anniversary of the Challenger tragedy and the same, infamous day Muslims were being refused entry into this country, I saw “Hidden Figures.” That such an unlikely competitor to “Rogue One” has been such a surprising, box office hit for much of January; well, I just had to see it. Especially after hearing what Leslie Jones had to say!
It’s not a great movie. And yet it’s a great movie. “Based on a true story,” there are moments when I thought, “Yeah! Right! Never happened like that. No way.” (The Kevin Costner and a crowbar scene, for example. C’mon!) But hyper-aware of the Trump-era world outside that movie theater, it was easy to forgive Hollywood silliness. Because, dear God, do we need good fables right now! We desperately need stories that applaud, that celebrate grit and brilliance and math and science and sisterhood and the idea that when one of us succeeds, we all do. (Both Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer say this at different times in the movie.) Because, as many brilliant people like Joanna Macy believe, what’s happening right now, as terrifying as it is, is actually the death throes of an Old Order. A new era is coming; I truly believe this (if Orange Fingers doesn’t nuke us all, first!). And we’ll need uplifting (pardon the pun) stories to guide us as we move into that Brave New World.
Dear Patricia,
Well, hi, there, Patricia, my so, so very For Always awesomely special and dearly precious soul sisterfriend Christian Quaker woman who you’re For Always so, so very much!!!!! Wow, what a very uplifting to my very heart and spirit blog post article this is here of yours, my friend!!!! Wow!!!! Sister, I remember that horrible January day in 1986 and witnessing that absolutely heinous and petrifying Challenger disaster!!!! I was 23 about to turn 24 in about a month in late February and was still living at home with my parents. Mother and I were watching the event filled with excitement and anticipation. We were so terribly shocked and greatly saddened by seeing this actually happen and we were very traumatized by that!!!! Wow, what a weird, eerie feeling it was to watch this tragedy occur on TV. I’ve always remembered this horrible tragedy, sisterfriend! Sister, I just can’t wait to see this very empowering and inspirational film, “Hidden Figures.” I must save up some money so that I could afford to go to the movies and see this very absolutely spectacular film not having the money yet being an indigent, disabled woman on a low, fixed income with my disability benefits. Sisterfriend, wow it is going to be great seeing this fine film and bearing witness to the brilliant black women who contributed very greatly to the mission back then. Wow, I am just warmed and filled with pride toward the awesome black women and just very proud of them! Sister, it is just terribly awful and such an injustice that this history, or should I say herstory, 🙂 was hidden with this great story not being told for such a long time, Patricia!!!!! Wow, I am just very happy that the story and the immense contributions by the very astute black women have finally been told in being brought to light here. Wow!!!! Yay!!!!! I am just very proud of the astounding black women and their superbly super accomplishments!!!! I must for sure see this movie!!!! It will relatively soon come out on cable and satellite and I can watch this very splendid and powerful film then if I have not yet seen it by then, my so, so very dearest and darling sister and friend!!!!!
Sisterfriend, the title of your brilliantly and masterfully composed blog post article is just perfect here, absolutely perfect, along with the great picture which you have featured and included here all in all in all of its great entirety perfectly complementing and adding to the great theme and topic of your very enlightening blog post article here accenting your great writing here to perfection, Patricia. My friend, you are so right in saying very sagaciously here that we in the Trump-era country, society, and world that we need more good fables now and more stories that applaud celebrating true grit helping us dream and, of course, sisterhood, my precious sister, Patricia!!!!! We DO need uplifting stories to guide us and to emblazon our very hearts and spirits being emboldened, encouraged, and guided as we move into that Brave New World. My friend, you are just very filled with Spirit and with such astute and acute sagacity, Patricia!!!!! YOU, sister and friend, and the remarkable Joanna Macy, are so right on in thinking and believing with what’s happening now in our country, society, and world being petrifying and all that we are experiencing the death rattle of an Old Order as we gingerly make our way into the Brave New World you very aptly talk about here in this very fine and excellent blog post article, Patricia. We all must remember that we are all in this together in the great unity of the spirit and must never ever give up and that somehow someway we will make it through as our Good Spirit will help us navigate the tricky terrain we have ahead, and when things are abhorrent our Good God will help us to cope through it all and to survive.
Sister, I feel even better and brighter with more cheer after joyfully reading this very insightful blog post article, and joyously responding with my very heartfelt, detailed, and thorough thoughts, ideas, and comments. I so, so very much love, enjoy, and appreciate how you have as usual as always very graciously and generously featured and included these marvelous links with your very magnificent article here. Wow, I really enjoyed these links very full of such fun and being very interesting and fascinating as well. Wow, Leslie Jones is very full of great wit here and had a lot of important stuff to say for sure!!!! All in all this great blog post article in all of its greatly grand totality is just super here!!!!! Wow!!!!! Yay!!!!!
Patricia, I thank God continually for YOU, and YOU have helped me very blessedly and greatly in such an immense way with my walk with Jesus, my sisterfriend Christian Quaker woman. Yay for YOU, Patricia!!!! Yay for our friendship and sisterhood, Patricia!!!! Yay!!!!! Now I feel even more re-energized, rejuvenated, reinvigorated, and renewed in my very, very heart, and in my very, very heart, mind, soul, and spirit, sister!!!! Thank-YOU so, Patricia!!!! Please have such a totally terrific and a very thrilling Tuesday, and may all of your days be so, so very especially blessed!!!!! Spirit so, so very much loves and cherishes you, Patricia, and so do I!!!!!! :)!!!!!
Very Warmly and Sincerely For Always, my absolutely fantastic soul sisterfriend Christian Quaker white woman who you’re For Always so, so very much, Patricia, with Such Peace and Love For You For Always, friend of mine, and with Such Blessings and Such Very Even More Blessings For You For Always, sister of mine,
Yours For Always soul sisterfriend Christian black woman and For Always in the great spirit of unity and solidarity, Sherry Gordon in Iowa City, Iowa
I believe the death throes idea, but it’s scary to be within reach of a world order in its death throes — and dangerous. Let’s pray that we can remain, or become, loving as we put the old world order in its grave.