Women & Developed world

Long time has not written a line! I am not sure form where to start! Shall I talk to you about Banda Aceh, Tsunami and great women and men whom I talked with? Or shall I write about my frustration in the world of development? All I can say is that I was lost! I was tired! I was angry! I was sad!


But now here I am sitting in the Vancouver Public Library and wondering form where I should start again! Lately I am thinking a lot about talking to strangers, I am thinking about a woman in the bus, I am thinking about a woman who I meet every morning in the elevator, I am thinking about women who are sleeping in the street of Vancouver (East Hasting).And I am thinking about a woman who wrote that book.

We met each other in her book. She is feeling bad about her neck and she hates having a purse! She has thousands of wrinkles creams! And she has no idea what will happen to sex after liberation! In her sex fantasy no one loves her for her mind and she warns us of men who cries!

She reminds me of the slogan "personal is political" when she said “Don’t underestimate how much antagonism there is toward women and how many people wish we could turn the clock back. One of the things people always say to you if you get upset is, don't take it personally, but listen hard to what's going on and, please, I beg you, take it personally”.

Then I asked her can we have it all? I want to have it all ! That is why I am here today! Living in a developed country!

“To be perfectly honest, you can't have it all, but in case you are wondering, of course you can have it all. It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it will be like, but surprises are good for you. And don't be frightened: you can always change your mind. I know: I've had four careers and three husbands’.

Then I laughed and she laughed! She smiled and said: “Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of those troubles on behalf of women”.

Nora Ephron was talking with me about “Another thought on being a woman” in her recent book, I feel bad about my neck!