My Life On The Road Post #2

I really didn't know much about Gloria Steinem before reading this book, so it has opened my eyes to a variety of new beliefs and perspectives and has taught me a great amount about her life and work. I'm truly inspired by how passionate she is about politics; her vast experience with politics, from working with Ted Sorensen -- JFK's speech writer -- to campaigning for Hillary Clinton is incredibly impressive and has reminded me of the importance of democracy and political activism. She includes a quote from her mother that I found especially memorable: "Democracy is just something you must do every day, like brushing your teeth".

Something else that really spoke to me came up in her stories about campaigning in 2008. She writes about traveling to Colorado, a swing state, that was "crucial to Obama's victory and also had some threatening ballot initiatives". She spent time speaking with women registered as either Independent or Republican, encouraging them to look past party labels and "support political leaders that support us". I found this incredibly relevant to the political climate we face today. People can get so caught up in labels and make judgements about a person's character, beliefs, and political support solely based on the label they register under. I think the sentiment that we should be supporting politicians that support us rather than limiting ourselves to voting for the candidates put up by our respective parties is something that would be valuable and potentially life-changing today. I also think it would encourage people to look past simple labels and discourage them from making assumptions about others.

I also found that her section on political activism presented other very wise, valuable thoughts. There are a few in particular that I want to share that really stood out to me:

1. "There is still no "right" way to be a woman in public power without being considered a you-know-what"

2. "Anybody can be with you when you're right, but only friends can be with you when you mess up"

3. "It's easy to forget that people can think what you don't think"

The wisdom and clarity that she brings to this book are striking and I really wish everybody would read it. While there may be many people that disagree with her beliefs, opinions, and maybe even her ways of being, I believe that there are thoughts and sentiments in this book that everyone would benefit from hearing/reading. As she said in the first quote I presented, there really is no 'right' way to be a women in the public eye, and I think more people need to remember that as they listen to their messages and opinions. Even further, for her, listening is even more important than speaking, which is a perspective that I feel is lost on many people today.