What a beautiful gathering of women and girls (and their supporters) at the Convention Center yesterday! I wish I could have chatted at length with everyone I saw there. With many fleeting “hello”s and some wonderful (more in-depth) conversation with friends old and new, we enjoyed a lovely lunch together. It is nothing short of awe-inspiring to see so many wonderful women in the audience. Across the divide of race and class, we celebrated the strength of all women in our community. Folks who work at our government offices, in the fields of medicine and education, women who love women, women with children, volunteers, activists, athletes, artists, etc. What a powerful group!! During the luncheon, we celebrated the woman of the year and we learned the story behind Rachel Carson (author of Silent Spring) – her life and what inspired her.
For example, Carson believed that young children should be filled with the awe and wonder of nature at an early age – which will inspire curiosity and a thirst for scientific knowledge later in life. This ties into Carson’s disdain for people who are afraid to ask questions because they wish to appear knowledgable. I reflected on this idea yesterday, and thought about what that means in government and corporations today – from the federal to the local, from the multi-national to the corner store. Our economic turmoil and the power-grab of former President Bush are evidence of the inability of the public and those in power to ask questions. We lend authority to those who act as if they don’t need to ask questions, as if they know everything that matters. I hope that our society will evolve and value the love of learning (which may come in the form of a question) in the corporate world and at every level of government.
“Why?”
“Why not?”
I think Carson was right. We should not be afraid to ask these “tough” questions – it is the basis of humility, growth, and creativity.
