Actually, yes. And he was just darling. I’ll get to him in a minute.
But first let me say that last Thursday night, I was lucky enough to hear Gloria Steinem speak in a small community center in Littleton, Colorado (I guess it’s one advantage to living in a battleground state). I won’t pretend to know her work very well (I’m more of a thirtysomething feminist wannabe than the real deal). But I do know a legend and a hero when I meet one.
(I got to shake her hand! Shakily. I was a little starstruck.)
But no need — what an even, calming presence. Under a low-key (but chic) exterior, Ms. Steinem exuded warmth to every human in the room. All the way to the back. In fact, those in the back kept creeping forward, listening carefully to her every word.
In a way, it was a shame that a show of hands revealed a roomful of early voters — and Obama supporters, at that. (Yay! Woo-hoo!) After all, as Ms. Steinem noted, “This is the first election in my lifetime in which people aren’t just choosing to vote. They’re fighting to vote.” Chills down every spine, without a doubt.
But she took it in stride, and instead framed the evening a different way: by giving us all the task of telling a handful of others who hadn’t voted about what we’d learned that night, whatever it was. (Yes, I should have written this days ago; it’s my civic duty, even if no one reads it but my mom! Love you, Mimi…)
As a sometimes-rabid (and always opinionated) consumer of political news, I admired her grace and seemingly sincere acceptance of all worldviews — but without compromising on what she believes we deserve in our leaders. Like the ability to govern for the greater good, rather than promoting one’s own narrow agenda.
She said something like (and forgive me for very possibly mangling her quote, since I couldn’t scribble fast enough on the two teeny-tiny name tags I was using for paper): “I have no problem with Sarah Palin being a born-again evangelical. I don’t care if someone is pagan. What I care about is whether those beliefs are reflected in their policy and their actions in office.”
Hallelujah! Can I get an ‘amen’? (Just kidding. But I sure did love the way she said that.)
In fact, I loved a lot of things I heard last Thursday. And I’m more convinced than ever that Senator Barack Obama will be a great leader for our times. But while I don’t fool myself into thinking I can really make a “difference” with one blog post, I know I can at least convey a little of the inspiration I felt as I listened.
I mean, here is a 74-year-old woman — an American feminist icon — who has dedicated her life to us, in a way. Here is someone who questioned the status quo, and who dared to speak out publicly. Again and again. I can’t imagine the courage that requires. And now — in this historic election — standing up and pitching in, taking responsibility for clarifying issues that matter to voters, women and men, outside of the political machine. Encouraging people to talk to one another, even if we don’t agree.
Really amazing stuff. And on top of that for me, a great evening spent with an old friend whose political engagement inspires me. We even got to drink wine!
At any rate, I know it’s time to pay off my title and talk about the cute gentleman I mentioned at the top of this post. He was maybe in his 60s, and had been eagerly waiting his turn to speak. As hundreds of female eyes finally turned his way, he stood in his white t-shirt, sweater tossed aside in the heat of our non-air-conditioned space.
All he wanted to say — and you could see he’d been waiting a lifetime to say it — was that Ms. Steinem’s book, “Revolution from Within,” had affected him deeply. He said, “I’ve been wanting to look into your eyes and tell you — that book touched my soul.”
And as he touched his chest for emphasis, obviously choked up, I think we all got a little verklempt. It was an emotional response perfectly appropriate for the occasion… and for the significance of what we’ll be doing this Tuesday in electing a new president.
I just hope that the next time I get that feeling, it’s out of pure jubilation at an Obama victory.
