No social change was ever made without changing attitudes and preconceived notions. I am changing things. People ARE starting to "get it" and that is because some of us have dared to be "radical" enough to stand up and speak out. It is the ONLY way that the oppressed have ever made changes to their condition. I am proud to be a stand-up radical!
I am presenting to a feminists organization, Assoc. of Research on Mothering (ARM), at York University, Toronto on the 23rd of this month and again in Puerto Rico in February. Getting feminists to hear the pain of adoption loss and understand that adoption pits women against women: rich against poor - is bIG! And they ARE listening!
Every time I get an article published as I recently did in Conducive Magazine and being considered for publication in Mothering - it's getting the news out there to people who may never have thought of adoption as anything but a win-win.
Another article - based on my trip to Guatemala and the kidnapping of children there for adoption was just been accepted for publication in Adoption Today magazine (a very pro-adoption venue) for the Dec. issue.
I was also INVITED to present at the PLI Adoption Law Conference. I will be on a panel discussing fees and ethics presenting to attorneys and law students interested in adoption law.
I - and others - are speaking out and SOME are listening.
Everyone of us can do the same on a one-to-one. Every time we share our story with a neighbor or new acquaintance we are educating and enlightening and changing attitudes.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech.
Well behaved women rarely make history. Laurel Thatcher Urlich
(more powerful women wisdom quotes at this link)
4 comments:
I am really relieved to see that the quote wrongly attributed to Nelson Mandela, a man I deeply respect, was really from Marianne Williamson, a New Age Guru for whom I have no respect at all. I have never liked that quote, now I know why.
That being said, I congratulate you on being widely heard, read, and invited to speak at prestigious events. Perhaps it will make some difference and change some minds.
Thank you, MaryAnne.
Yes, perhaps it will..one thing is for sure: doing nothing or talking to ourselves won't.
I just heard a commercial for Verizon online services. Their catch phrase is: "Life Happens Online."
In fact, it does NOT!
Mirah, I also want to congratulate you on your numerous engagements and being given a wider platform. Please let me know when your article comes out in Adoption Today. And can I ask a crass question? What does AT pay?
Thanks O. It will be my first time in AT. I had another article accepted that never got published and to be honest neither time did I ask about payment. I assume it is pretty standard of all payments I have received to date: 3 copies of the magazine! (Not even that with Conducive)
All of these speaking engagements I do are totally 100% funded out of my pocket. To speak at ARM, I had to join the organization and register for the conf, plus I have my air and hotel to go to each of these conferences.
No stipend. No speakers fee. No repayment of expenses.
That's why I ROFL when I am accused of profiting on adoption! IF ONLY! (Not that I would want to).
The double edged sword is that I am disability "retirement" which affords me the luxury of time to do all of this, but not the income. However, I have no husband to answer to any longer.
Just learned that Karen Lynn, Pres of CNM has arranged a dinner in my honor with several other moms form that org and a reporter!
Other than that it is pretty thankless work and I take a bit of abuse for it on top of doing all I do. (Like when I tried to anonymously DONATE a resource website).
"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." ~ Aristotle (more such inspiration on the top right)
And I will not go quietly!
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