Another Feminism

Front Line Leadership Lady said a curious thing during class.

We were doing a communication exercise where we had a murder mystery to solve. We all had cards with bits of information on them, and we had to tell each other what our cards said and piece the story together. There were different characters -- all who had motive or suspicious behavior. We had to determine who was the real killer.

And as we all came together to talk about our conclusions, it became obvious that one woman character was meant to distract us from the true killer. And the Front Line Leadership Lady, voicing how we all were thinking, said:

"Why is she important? She's a Miss, not a Mrs!"

And this stuck me as so offensive. Just because she's not married, she's unimportant?

Whooo dang.

Minutes before, in a smaller, break-away group were we were to brainstorm something, my comments were made fun of by a male Director and dismissed. He shut me down. A male group mate restated my suggestion. When it was said again, the male Director wrote it down on the brain storming list.

I think it might be time for another Feminism. We had the first good go-round, and then the neo-Feminists and the post-Feminists, but I think we might need another little dose of it, to remember. Some tri-Feminist movement. Or, what? What could it be called?

Maybe it's just me . . . noticing again because my situation has changed so completely at work. Maybe I'm just anticipating past wrongs resurfacing and needn't be so over-sensitive.

But when you really start listening with your Feminism on . . . you too will hear it. Everywhere.

Whooo dang.