Madwoman Out of the Attic

a feminist trudging forward in a patriarchal world

Saturday, January 24, 2009

New Resolution

My second semester at CGU has just started, and I am taking an autobiography class. Our prof has heavily encouraged us to start keeping a diary, so I hereby resolve to blog more about my daily life. If my daily life bores you (and it should) I heartily recommend you not read my posts for the next few months.

This weekend started off with a bang. I had a fantastic Friday. Loved my class "The Moral Agency of Women" which I went to for the first time. I had actually intended to go there and drop it, since I was worried I would want to strangle myself because of all the theoretical readings, but it turned out to be better than I could ever have imagined. Yes there's a lot of theory in the beginning, but the latter part of the course we'll be watching movies and reading lit and applying these ideas of women's moral agency to them. Yay! What fun. Because by the end of the class I'll be great with child, I do think I'll just audit it and get out of writing the 20 page research paper.

In class we watched the devastating Emma Thompson movie Wit about a woman dying of cancer who has moral agency stripped away from her. It was so awful and sad and wonderful. Lots of us were sniffling and crying as we watched it. It helped that the prof herself admited to tearing up every time she sees it. And afterwards, the prof had us sit in silence as we thought of all the people we know/knew who have dealt with the horrors of terminal illness. She told us this time was to 'hold these people in the light' and recall their presence. Very Quaker-esque and very pastoral. I thought it showed great sensitivity on the prof's part.

Had lunch with the WSR women and headed home to pick up E from Rebecca's. At home, while he napped, I napped, until rudely jarred awake by the doorbell fiercely ringing. An older Asian couple was there and kept trying to tell me something in Chinese, but I had no idea what they were saying, and I was dazed anyway by my recent nap. I felt really bad. Eventually they went away. I'm still wondering what on earth they were trying to say to me.

Our evening ended with us taking E back to Rebecca's so she could b-sit him while we went to go see You, Nero, Mike's Christmas present to me. (He had resolved this year to actually buy me a real present. This was somewhat unusual.) We were happy to have some time alone since E spent the whole 6:00 hour screaming and collapsing in tears whenever Mike and I tried to talk to each other about my moral agency class. "Talk to me!" he'd passionately sob as he crumpled to his knees.

You, Nero turned out to be very entertaining. Also entertaining was the program which showed next to his bio a picture of the main actor. The picture was taken at least 25 years ago. Mike refused to believe that that guy was the same one playing the main role. It totally was, but the guy really needs to update his picture.

Today: not nearly so exciting. Took E until 5:00 since Mike had to go to a conference. Long, long day. Wish I could figure out ways to make E care-taking less dull and lonely.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

My Future Husbands

In the grand spirit of Mormon plural marriage, I've started to pick out my future husbands in the hereafter. My first husband, always foremost in my affections, a king among handmen, is Mike, of course. 

Husband number 2: This old guy named Val. I love him. Everytime I see him, he gives me a big hug with a complete lack of self-consciousness. (I'm really just an acquaintance.) He has a huge generosity of spirit and is so happy and friendly.

Husband number 3: Jerry Sanders, mayor of San Diego. This is a bit of a shocker because he's a Republican, but I fell in love with him during this YouTube clip.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAOkwjQdm6Q . What a courageous and generous person. 

Husband number 4: William Wilburforce. So all I really know about him comes from the movie Amazing Grace, but I was extraordinarily moved (as depicted in the movie) by this man's tireless quest to abolish slavery in Britain. And by his love for animals - he started the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

What do all these men have in common? Compassion, courage in their convictions, and a huge generosity of spirit. All qualities I wish I could embody better.