Perfect Moments: Apple bottom jeans, boots wit da ferrr

Today's moment came courtesy of none other but the people who started the Zumba craze and the "king" of auto-tune....Mr. T-Pain. Had he not put out this superficial yet moving piece of music, I would have never had the following picture in my mind to make me laugh and smile for years to come!

Picture this:

A room full of good ol' Bible Belt, church-goin' Mississippi women, T-Pain's "Apple-Bottom Jeans" song blaring out the speakers, AND.... my 50 somethin' year-old mother-in-law giving "her big booty a smack" and "hit[ting] the floor, next thing you know, [she got] low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low". I couldn't help but laugh inside, thinking "this woman's gonna' get toooo low and is going to need ME to help her back up!"

Two things to take away from this moment:
1. The revelation that Southern women can, surprisingly, do Latin moves some justice
2. A memory that is sure to cheer me up should I be visited by a rainy day in the future

Perfect Moments: Pure Luck

Today I read something that completely blew me away. There was an article on Yahoo about the rape of women in the Congo. EVERY DAY (when averaged out) there are 1, 152 women raped (approx. 48 an hour---to read the article see http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110512/ap_on_re_af/af_congo_rape. Also, see http://www.msmagazine.com/spring2005/congo.asp on what one woman, personally affected by the war has gone through...caution..it is very graphic). And that is a conservative number as many women do not report their rape to someone. This is devastatingly horrific to me, not only as a woman, but as a human. If this doesn't shake you, I don't know what will. I just think to myself, "What in the world can I do?" Sex violence has been a part of war-torn countries for centuries, but I cannot simply accept it as the way things are. Awareness, I think, is the first step. Sharing that awareness with others, the next. After that? Still thinking on that.

Although I realize that picking this article as the "Perfect Moment" of the day seems out of line, let me explain. When I read articles like these about people across the globe, it hurts me. But, in that hurt, I find a reason to be thankful. I am thankful for the hurt because it shows me that I, like all of us, am connected to everyone else....even people a world away. It reminds me of the very basic needs that we all share and makes me think about the hows and whys. How did I happen to be born in such a different condition from these women in the Congo? Why? It was not because I am better than them. It was not because I am from a blessed people and they from a cursed. It is out of pure chance....at least this is my thinking on this. Some may disagree. But, I really do believe that it is possible, had the events of history been different, that I could have been the one born in a country where the rape of women is so commonplace. Coming from this perspective... this belief of the way people are connected, it is extremely difficult for me to support wars, ours or theirs, as in any war, people---PEOPLE!!!--individuals...like me (most, of whom, are innocent) die. Because it could just as easily be me.

Two Toothbrushes

Two toothbrushes, side-by-side, on the sink
His is blue, mine is pink

There used to only be one
but its been a while and I can't bring to memory
how things were before there was a you and me
I'm sure things were easier
No opposing views and dirty socks to pick from the floor
But, I'm also sure that without you, my life would be a bore
Because we're different
As in, "Why you always gotta' cry?"
As in, "Why do you always need a why?"
Yes, we're different
As in, "Why can't you work on that later and come to bed?"
As in, "Why can't you see if I didn't work on this, you'd have a cot instead?"
Yes, we're different
As in, "Babe, I know it's late, but can you go to the store for some ice cream?"
As in, "Damn! Only place I want to go is to put my head on a pillow and dream?"
But you went anyway
You always do
And I know everyday
Is better with, not without, you
So though, at times, we miss each other's message
Things get lost in translation
One thing is crystal clear about our frustration
Its about men are from Mars and women from Venus
Its got nothing to do with a lack of love between us
So, I'll take you, and your dirty socks that stink
And I'm glad there are still two toothbrushes, side-by-side, on our sink

Two toothbrushes, side-by-side on the sink
His is blue, mine is pink

In Honor of Women Who've Dared to ...

Dedicated to Rosa Parks, Somaly Mam, and Lindsay (not Lohan)

He said, "Get to the back of the bus,
Girl you know the rules
Ain't now way I'mma let you break'em
Try as you may
You may as well stay
Where you belong, you never were strong
Enough to be more than this

Cause that's for us, not for you
You know it's true, don't you?
That's for us, not for you
So give it up now, now won't you?"

But, she waived her fist in the air and
She said she didn't care,
Said, "I've got a right to be here,
I've got a right to be here"

She said, "There's no way out for us girls,
Don't have a chance
Ain't no way they're gonna' let us go
Without dying,
No use in trying
No, we don't belong, but we're just not strong
Enough to be more than this

Cause we are theirs, not our own
You know it's true, don't you?
And they'll kill us if we try to
So give it up now, now won't you?"

But she waived her fist in the the air
She said she didn't care
Said, "I'm breaking free from here,
I'm breaking free from here"

Mom said, "You'll never be something
Girl, you never were
Ain't no way you're gonna' make it
Out in LA
You may as well stay
Here where you belong, you never were strong
Enough to be more than this

Cause that's not for us, it's for them
You know it's true, don't you?
That's not for us, but for them,
So, give it up now, now won't you?"

But she waved her fist in the air,
She said, she didn't care
Said, "I'm gonna' make it there,
Yes, I'm gonna' make it there"