And I'm also a fan of Dar Williams.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_Williams
On her first album is the song "Flinty Kind of Woman". While I was thinking of this entry I realized that I'm not someone who advocates vigilante justice. The women in the song take justice into their own hands defending their kids and chase a perpetrator into the cranberry bog.
More than anything, I think I appreciate the notion of strong women who do what they need to do. One line in the song says "but it's a victory won and it couldn't be done by the hippy-dippy flaky-shaky fun in the sun braless wonders".
Perhaps I have an idealistic view of the nature of being a woman. But I find myself inspired by strong woman who get the job done. I grew up with too many of women who were more concerned with their appearance and with appearing ditzy to attract men.
Sure, there are lots of beautiful women who are also strong, and I'm not disparaging them. I'm not a second wave feminist who believes that makeup is evil.
But images of strong women (like Rosie the Riveter) are few and far between in current American pop culture. Strong women are b_itchy. Strong women can't be happy or be satisfied until they've put on an apron and bake muffins.
I'm over-simplifying this and obviously there are many other examples. Women are complicated - humans are complicated. We do what needs to be done. Some of us live quiet lives of desperation.
It's nice to have those of us who make sure that our kids ride in car seats, who vote, who pay the phone and electric bills and read the paper glorified every once in awhile.
So no other reason than I like the color cranberry. I like the Dar Williams song. I am in awe of strong women. And I'm certain my entries in this blog will be all over the place - a mass of random thoughts that are difficult to wade through.
