tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post2403693840252882417..comments2024-03-18T14:34:31.684-05:00Comments on Horizons: Getting past the frivolous talk about feminismNancy LeTourneauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614317154146836694noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-64193851935339703752013-04-07T20:11:54.717-05:002013-04-07T20:11:54.717-05:00Couldn't agree more with your comment C. Mrs O...Couldn't agree more with your comment C. Mrs Obama has quietly redefined feminism in my opinion. She's true to herself and won't let anyone co-opt her mind and her vision for herself and her family. A very honest, evolved and modern woman and like you say, very complete in the best way. She makes it okay to be a woman in the traditional sense and yet also to be all the other things strong, brilliant, independent and a mate and equal to her husband. She makes it okay to not always be superwoman. She shows the world that superwoman does need days off too, that superwoman gets tired, has emotional needs and also nurses similar doubts as do the rest of us about personal and professional choices made for herself and in her role as wife and mother. It does not take away from her greatness in the least, but only makes her human in a wonderfully relatable way and even more impressive.<br /><br />It's refreshing to see a woman in her position who is so candid and open and and has never had the need to ban questions or tried to control an interview process. She answers all questions asked of her (even those that make her cringe), brilliantly, effortlessly, thoughtfully and with great dignity and wit. No airs about her and yes she is very sweet and for all the strength she exudes, a real softie too.<br /><br />I was very touched to hear Barbara Walters tell of how she'd interviewed Mrs Obama and her husband for a Christmas special at the White House when Bo the dog was still quite young. Bo hadn't quite learned to respond to all his commands and Barbara had quipped about Bo not being a very smart dog.<br /><br />After Barbara returned to New York she got a phone call from the White Housing with a request. Barbara was expecting to be asked to scrap a segment or to remove anything unflattering about either the president or Mrs Obama. But no, it was a simple request from Mrs Obama asking if Walters would please edit out the bit where Barbara said that Bo the dog wasn't smart! As a a dog lover, I was very touched.<br /><br />Thanks also for the link to the BBC video, it was great to watch.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-40604978400633846952013-04-07T12:08:33.508-05:002013-04-07T12:08:33.508-05:00C. I love your comment. This a great description ...C. I love your comment. This a great description of FLOTUS, Michelle Obama.sjterridnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-11764949071763858282013-04-07T07:12:14.554-05:002013-04-07T07:12:14.554-05:00As a I read your post Michelle Obama kept popping ...As a I read your post Michelle Obama kept popping into my head; She for me exemplifies a complete woman in every sense of it. She's smart, insightful, thoughtful, wise, strong, confident, capable, independent of thought and doing, but she's also fun, funny, vulnerable, feminine, sweet, fashionable and even silly when she needs to be.<br /><br />She loves being a wife adored and doted on by her husband and a great mum as much as she loves being accomplished and taken seriously as a professional. But she won't let the latter define her or the pursuit of it strangle or weigh her down.<br /><br />Impact is not measured by what happens at women focused conferences, roundtables or pushing and force-feeding everyone the inevitability and presidential candidacy of one hand-picked woman on whom the others are supposed to hang their dreams. Whether they are even inspired by or can relate to her or not. <br /><br />Impact is what happens in small rooms or on street corners in neighborhoods, commuter trains, church and grocery store aisles or even in rush hour traffic when a car breaks down. Impact is what happens when a First Lady opts to visit with kids in a school populated by mostly indigent student and instantly connects with them. Returning many months later to follow up and to take them to visit the grandest university in the country to help them imagine themselves enrolling and graduating from there. And assuring them that no matter how intimidating, they too belong there.<br /><br />Impact is when a hug is so warm, so tight and so sincere, the girls, many of whom haven't been hugged in a while, feel the heart and soul of the hugger and respond to it. They talk about how she relates well to them, she's human and makes them feel like there isn't too much of a gap between them. <br /><br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13559252<br /><br />The false choices the feminist movement offer are silly which is probably why they've refused to acknowledge or embrace Michelle Obama only referencing her to demand she do their bidding, to criticize, admonish and to contemptuously demean. <br /><br />For her part, Mrs Obama has refused to notice. And if she's noticed, she's not letting on. She just keeps on living her golden life on her own terms, impacting and inspiring young girls and women in the most natural and unscripted and most enduring of ways. She adheres to a sisterhood that not only requires that her mentees excel and bond with other women in a positive way that contradicts the idea that women aren't nice to each other, she always asks that they reach back and pull others up too.<br /><br />I think I'd rather subscribe to Mrs Obama's version of womanism. One never feels deprived or live in great regret for never having it all. There's just something really great about living life that way.C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-30879208183627895842013-04-06T14:14:32.244-05:002013-04-06T14:14:32.244-05:00As an example of partnership vs dominance, during ...As an example of partnership vs dominance, during the 2008 primary, President Obama revived the slogan "Yes We Can." The Clinton camp responded with "Yes She Can."<br /><br />Fascinating!Nancy LeTourneauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12614317154146836694noreply@blogger.com