My first date with my husband was a protest march in 1972. I was against the war in Vietnam, but I mostly remember sitting on his lap in the back seat of Gary Ulicny’s VW bug.
When my girls were little, I was a group leader in La Leche League, a breastfeeding support group. We advocated for what is now called “attachment parenting” and wondered whether stay-at-home moms could be feminists. We felt pretty radical at the time, with our Snuglis and our homemade baby food.
In 1995, I was part of the “Mothers’ Bar Brigade”, sponsored by the local AIDS Service Agency. We took baskets of condoms in multi-colored wrappers into the bars of Greensboro the night before Mother’s Day. We went to gay bars and we went to another bar that had so many strobe lights I went temporarily blind. It was way past my bedtime.
At one bar, I handed one of my colorful condoms to my daughter’s friend and said, “Your mother would want you to use this.” I’m sure I ruined his evening. The next morning, Mother’s Day, a reporter who had followed us around for a while quoted me in the newspaper. Monday, I think my kids bragged about their cool mom.
I’m reading a book called Mothers of Intention: How Women and Social Media Are Revolutionizing Politics in America (why do books have such long titles these days?). In 2010, more than 2000 people, mostly women, attended a BlogHer convention in NYC. That is too many women to ignore. The more I learn about the world of blogging—“The Blogosphere”—the more I feel kind of radical again. I want to go to a BlogHer convention.
I started this blog so my grandchildren would know me. Of course I hope to influence their values and beliefs. And maybe make them laugh.
I hope they’re proud of me. And I hope they’re a bit radical, too.
Amma Ponders 
Mom, the first paragraph made me cringe, the rest is beautiful.
I knew it would! Hee hee.
Inspiring post! It is time for us aging radicals to rediscover our radical roots, and blogging is a good way to do it. The book sounds interesting. I think that books almost all have long subtitles nowadays so that they can get in more “keywords” and get more Google juice every time someone they are mentioned on the Web.
Oh. I still have lots to learn about this parallel universe. Thanks for helping me, Susan.
Now that we are older perhaps we can be more persuasive, less symbolic. The world is a mess and that’s the truth. Pick your cause all you strong wise women out there and let’s get to it.
You and I–all of us–are needed now more than ever!
I thought we’d be further along than this by now. We all, at least, need to register and vote.
My friend wrote that book! And, she mentions me!! (A little one-sentence mention, but still!). I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
I saw your name! I didn’t know you ran for office. You go, girl.
(I know a good political fundraiser.)