Today is International Women's Day

I'll repeat that,  Today is International Women's Day.  This is a day to celebrate 51% of the human race.   Women, throughout history have been marginalized.  And the amazing thing is, that women are so integral to the human race.  Of course there's the obvious reason, but the value of women in all cultures on our planet go way beyond giving birth to the next generation of humans.

Before I further discuss my thoughts on International Women's Day, I want to note, that I'm a humanist.  By humanist I mean that we are all humans; women, men, black people, white people, Asian people, Hispanic people, native Americans, Russians, Americans, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jews, everyone.  For decades, I've shared with friends and acquaintances a funny little scenario that I made up.  If we're on earth and we point a telescope at Mars and if there was life on Mars, what would we call them?  More often than not the person I'm speaking with replies, after thinking for a moment or two, "aliens".  I tell them that we would (and do) call them Martians.  Now, I say, let's put the telescope on Mars and point it towards Earth.  What would we call life on Earth?  They usually look at me quizzically, and I let them know my answer, which is, "Earthlings".  Point made.

That being said, I know that that scenario is the ideal, not the reality we live in.  So, because we do see ourselves as different sub groups of humans, we do need to recognize everyone's worth, especially those that are marginalized.  In our country that means anyone that is not a 'white' male.  Sure, we know that white guys are important.  That white guys have done a lot for our country and the human race, but everyone else has as well.  The problem is, the white guy dominated culture that we live in, in our country, doesn't get it.  The thing is, the white guys are not the only important and contributing members of our society.

I'm reminded of the lyrics to the James Brown song, "It's a Man's World":

It's a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Without a woman or a girl

Not only is today International Women's Day, it is also A Day Without a Woman day.  I have been intrigued by this action since I first read about it.  My mind has been looking at various scenarios with women in the picture and then I have seen them all disappear from the scene in a blink of my mind's eye.  I am very much looking forward to reading about the events that take place today.  My hope is that this action as well as planned marches and other activities are well covered and highlight to our nation and the world just how important women are to our families, our economy, our work places, our education systems, our financial institutions, our government, the stores we shop at, as doctors, as nurses, as care takers, our hospitals........ Do I need to go on?

My mother taught me a great deal when I was young, simply by doing what she did and needed to do.  In the late '50s it was not so common to have women in the work force.  I can't remember when my mother didn't work.  She was an operating room nurse.  When I was four and five years old, I remember my mother putting chains on her tires at 6am, in the dark, as it was snowing, so she could get to work.  I remember this happening on more than one occasion.  in the 1970's when my father was out of work for quite a while due to the construction industry going sour, my mother was the only bread winner in our house.  She kept the ship afloat.  Maybe these descriptions don't seem like a 'big deal' in today's culture, but without acting like this was out of the ordinary, the way my mother conducted herself was simply normal to me.  I thought all adults worked.  It didn't even occur to me that women were expected to be 'in the home'.  I appreciated learning from her in many different ways.  I learned about the human body from her.  I learned how to cook from her.  I learned how to be a decent and moral person from her.  I learned that women were not different then men, they were simply adults.  I mean, sure I understood that men and women were anatomically different, but strip all that stuff away and we are simply brains and spinal columns.  I don't think you can tell the difference if you strip us down to that.

I am thankful for all that women contribute to our country and I hope that this year more people in our country, on the heals of The Million Women March, come to realize the importance, the value and the power  that women bring to our world.

Happy International Women's Day!