No time for a shower, just a change of clothes--jeans with a cute top and lacy cardigan to layer against the air conditioning, comfortable shoes because of the light rain and uncertain parking location.
Traffic flowed quickly until it didn't, slowing down to twenty miles per hour on the freeway, surprising since the gridlock was heading in the opposite direction. I kept glancing nervously at the clock on the dashboard, regretting the extra ten minutes a stop at an ATM had cost me. I made it to campus by six, only to wait in a long, slow line entering the parking garage.
At six-twenty, I took my seat among hundreds of women in the concert hall. The energy was palpable and positive, the air humming with conversation. I sat in a strange quiet bubble, one of the few lone participants observing groups of friends taking selfies.
The lights dimmed, and the stories began.
Two lovers took turns describing the day they met, and the days after, making a new version of family, expanding their definition of love.
A slight woman with close-cropped hair in a bright red jacket insisted she was going to be a doctor, until a college class convinced her otherwise and her talents led her in a completely different and successful direction.
A woman with a cool leather hat, side braid, and gold rings on her fingers described the day she defended her mother who was being sexually harassed, becoming a crusade against locker room talk and sexual assault, reaching thousands of college and professional athletes.
A migrant worker in a plain bright top, accompanied by her interpreter, taught us that farm workers are subjected to sexual assault at an alarming rate. She decided enough was enough, and rallied her female coworkers to bring awareness and an end to their abuse in the fields.
Halfway through our three-hour gathering, a fitness leader had us moving and breathing, opening our hearts and roaring, releasing any darkness weighing us down.
Two women took the stage, both funny in their own right. One now empowers girls in middle school, the other speaks her truth on YouTube.
A local celebrity continued the theme of speaking truth to power. She lost followers and suffered financial setbacks at first, but gained peace of mind and an even larger audience. At her lowest points, she went to her kitchen and cooked for those she loved.
After hearing all of these women talk to each other, bouncing around their definitions of hope, we were treated to a love letter. Every word rang true in these troubled times. Every word was light in the darkness.
I didn't get home until after eleven, but I was buzzing from the experience as my alarm went off at five the next morning. What an amazing night, in the company of women.
http://togetherlive.com/
This sounds like an unforgettable, uplifting experience!!
ReplyDeleteI never tire of hearing the stories of others - especially those of overcoming. There must have been such inspiration and power in that room. I celebrate your courage in going alone, and that you carried a reward away in you heart.
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