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| Gloria Steinem made over as her childhood hero Wonder Woman |
[Tuesday March 25 marks the 80th birthday of my old boss and friend, author and activist Gloria Steinem. I had planned to post the following on Tuesday, but if the New York Times can publish their birthday tribute two days early, well then so can I!]
You don’t have to possess a
golden lasso of truth, or an invisible airplane, or even bullet defying wrists
cuffs (those are way too clunky to call them bracelets) in order to be a super
hero. I’m sure these trappings of Amazonian strength got Diana Prince out of
many a jam, but they are hardly required.
You don’t believe me? Just look
at Gloria Steinem. She has been a flesh and blood hero to millions of women,
children, and men all over the world for more than forty years now. Her
weapons…no, strike that. Her tools have
modified over the years and have included everything from a reporter’s notebook
and pen, to a tape recorder, a manual typewriter, a Mac, a mimeograph machine,
hand painted banners, a megaphone, and even a pair of tap shoes.
But don’t be fooled; just because
her tools are comprised of everyday objects, that does not mean she has not
been gifted by the Goddesses with great powers. Among these gifts, some instinctive
and others developed through hard work and experience, Gloria possesses a
fierce intellect, a quick but kind wit, a warm and prepossessing smile, an
ability to make everyone feel heard, to feel that they can be part of the
solution to just about any problem, and perhaps most helpfully, a highly
evolved sense of empathy that extends to all creatures, on four legs or two.
Perhaps on another occasion I
shall write about why Gloria has always meant so much to me personally, but for
now I’d be happy if everyone who reads this would join me in simply wishing
Gloria a very Happy Birthday and thank her for always using her powers for
good.
#gloriasteinem
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