freetodream

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By freetodream • 12 years ago

Attributes of a Gracious Woman

Respect: A gracious woman respects other women. She doesn’t claim to only associate with men because women are whiny; she doesn’t speak badly of women behind their backs. She doesn’t call women the names that men have used to degrade and to objectify us for thousands of years. She doesn’t demean other women in order to fit in with the prevailing culture – to pretend that she is more secure than she is. She respects the integrity of other women’s personhoods, and she treats those women as she would will that she herself be treated.

Honor: A gracious woman holds herself to a higher standard than that to which she holds the world around her, and she endeavors to live up to that measure. She is agile and resourceful, but never deceitful or manipulative. She develops her own definition of right and wrong and strives to adhere to it. She constantly reevaluates that distinction as she goes about her days, learning as much about herself as she does about the world and her place in it.

Integrity: A gracious woman’s integrity combines confidence with humility. The strength not only to admit to mistakes, but also to embrace the discomfort or punishment that must sometimes accompany such errors. She is honest about her shortcomings and faces them with an open mind and a brave heart. Always, she says what she means and ...

By freetodream • 13 years ago

Tick Tock of a Professional Woman

8:15 AM I walk up Columbia Road and take note of four men sitting on the stoop and smoking. They are about 5 yards away. They haven’t noticed me yet. They will soon. I gauge the odds of their verbally harassing me to be about 2 to 1 if I walk past them. (This is something women learn to do early in life – assess the potential threat level of any male in our immediate surroundings.) I decide to take my chances on crossing the street. They notice. They aren’t interested enough to get up and follow me, but they amuse themselves by shouting at me from the stoop. hey mama, where you goin’ ...

8:15 AM I walk up Columbia Road and take note of four men sitting on the stoop and smoking. They are about 5 yards away. They haven’t noticed me yet. They will soon. I gauge the ...

By freetodream • 13 years ago

Talking About Reproductive Rights in a Recession

The New York Times recently reported that Democrats in tight races are starting to focus on abortion rights as a strategy for attracting base voters. All I can say is, it’s about time. Republicans have argued that the new emphasis on abortion rights is an effort to distract voters from jobs and the economy, claiming that Democrats know they can’t win on the issues that really matter.

It’s no secret that the economy is the number one issue for Americans this fall. However, Democrats have made a huge error in focusing so narrowly on job creation. Financial stability and job security permeate every aspect of American life. While it’s a relief to note that the Democratic establishment has finally remembered that it is pro-choice, ...

By freetodream • 15 years ago

The Park at Night

About a block west of the corner of Calvert Street and Connecticut Avenue lies Walter Pierce Community Park. A playground, baseball field, basketball court, dog park – it has it all, even benches where the homeless population seeks some comfort during the night. I usually cut through the park on my way home to Ontario Street, a lesser known, smaller street off to the side that lies directly opposite the swing sets and seesaws. The thing is, sometimes it’s dark out. I know summer is drawing to a close when I return home on a weekday after dinner with friends, and pause at entrance to the park, just as the sun is setting beyond the ...