Tisha Nemeth: Women have incredible expectations to fill professionally and relationally, we're balancing work in predominantly male environments while attempting to maintain a female perspective. And at days end we go home to downshift, only to find there's additional work to be done with our spouses/significant others/family. Obstacles abound when it comes to balancing the various roles women live out daily....
Deb Remington: Her comment about bankruptcy allows me to voice one of "MBIC" issues: credit cards marketed to teenagers, many who are not even employed, who have no other source of income to pay for their debt incurred by using the card. It's amazing that kids under 18 can join "record" clubs without a parent's written approval. And the companies wonder why these same kids can't pay their bills! What's that all about? We have turned into an "instant gratification nation." Charge now....pay later....if we can. We no longer live within our means, and we don't understand the words "save" or "wait". This mentality is trickling down to children, creating a vicious circle of financial carelessness.
TN: I think that the best approach is to maintain responsibility over oneself when it comes to managing money - bankruptcy is caused by lack of financial self-control. From my background in accounting, I'm also seeing Gillian's standpoint where people get in over their heads. It's an example of how *not* to live, and I understand that this type of disciplined lifestyle is not popular among Americans. The best we can do is hold ourselves accountable and live reasonably within the financial level we're on. My philosophy is if you don't have the cash to buy it, you don't get it....
DR: Perhaps my statement should have been reversed...the reality of the future leaves no room for the present. Do we live solely for what we have to have?
TN: If you're materialistic, you do.
MBIC reader Martha Senerchia responds: "Ladies, what we need is a feast, and not in some crappy church basement, either. I'm thinking a monthly potluck rotating through galleries, stages and other life- and creativity-affirming spaces. I make garlic blast hummus that puts everyone on the same reeking conversational level, my husband makes truffles that are better than sex, what do you make? Maybe if we break bread together we can do less hurting about what is wrong and start hoping and working with what is right."
DR: To initiate the process of change, first we must identify the problems, then speak truthfully about them and strategize for change. Can breaking bread together alleviate the pressing issues addressed in MBIC? It is a great idea to form groups of social activists to discuss and implement change. As a child of the sixties, I was honored to be with a group of people who stood up for what was just, people who gathered together and took risks for what they believed in. Sadly, there are too many people today who are afraid of what other people might think of their ideas or actions if they are not mainstream. Case in point: if I were a superintendent of schools, I would refuse to give state mandated tests. I would join forces with other educators who felt the same way and marched on to Columbus. Just think of the statement that would have been made, if all of Ohio's superintendents had been jailed for refusing to give proficiency tests! That's activism! Instead, we allow individuals who have no educational experience background to make rules regarding issues that they know little about, and few stand up to challenge them. Throughout the centuries, great discussions have centered around food - but we also know that food can be substituted for dealing with issues we would rather ignore. It's so important that our society drop complacent attitudes. By the way, I make a killer cheese cake!
TN: What hurts is speaking the truth when few want to hear it. What hurts is that we need more individuals making daily efforts to positively change our city's artistic and cultural climate. I love the idea of a monthly feast - activism geared around food. I'd invite Martha to organize this group and develop it. Set it up and then we'll run it at CC to generate interest and new members. I'm very results-driven, and am happy to address important issues in Cleveland while providing my personal time and efforts. I'm also swamped with activism every day at Cool Cleveland: meeting with writers, artists, activists; frequenting their events; reporting on them; managing writers and then editing CC's newsletter and website somewhere in between. We're constantly networking with people in the business/arts community, connecting these people to each other while exposing culturally critical issues in our city. We do this 7 days a week and it never ends, because activism for us is a lifestyle. I'd like to hear about a "feast" group developing as a result of our conversations, and see people getting involved to do the hard work of maintaining this group and continuing its effort - not only to eat, but also to create solutions for the issues that are addressed within that group. Go for it, Martha, it's a great idea. By the way, I make a great lobster salad and a killer glass of chocolate milk!
Catch the next installation of MBIC: Western culture's fascination with physical perfection and other topics that you won't hear at cocktail parties!
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