“Me too” just does not have the meaning it used to, does it? Yes, I am talking about the innocent “me too” that we might’ve said in agreement in let’s say, conversations at the dinner table when some one might offer “Creme brûlée anyone?” To which several might readily say, “yes, please!” While at the other end of the table the person who had had their mouth full of moules au vin avec pommes frites, chews, knocks back a gulp of Riesling, swallows quickly, then raises her hand and mumbles “Me too!”
Oh yes, I definitely have the habit of interjecting favorite French foods whenever I can.
But back to my point. I fear we are no longer able to unconsciously use the term “me too” anymore without immediately referring to the way women (mostly) have been/are being dishonored by men (always).
Now. I am relieved that what was obvious to some (myself included) is now obvious to many about the deplorable (another term/adjective now newly enhanced noun), treatment of women in our misogynist societies. Yes, it happens everywhere, duh. And you only thought women in Saudi Arabia are having it bad? What planet are you on? Ha. This is a global malaise…which is perhaps as deadly if not more so than Corona.
Now. What are you, me, and everybody we know going to do with it? Since the current, and I use this term loosely, “leader” of the free world is a perpetrator of said abuse and his Democratic rival is being accused of it too?
Hell, we know we’ve gotta vote, even masked, gloved and purelled all over (but not inside, please). We can only hope that the watchdogs are vicious enough to bite the shit out of the vote tampering fucktards (probably republicans), then giving them time caged in the (not very hokey) pokey, while at the same time releasing innocent refugees into sanctuary.
But. Back to “me too” and “you” as well. The fact we are trying to finally come to terms with our mistreatment of women is mind blowing for this here aging hippy who danced at love-ins and went home blissfully turned on to do you might guess what with whomever.
In those days of innocent sexual playfulness our only worries were VD and whether our partners were going to get drafted into fighting the bullshit war in Vietnam. Most of the young men were far more respectful, or at least the ones I knew then, of women, with only the rare asshole attempting to force himself upon me. Then, I had studied self defense and was adept at various offensive, infinitely painful deterrents of which the lout felt, probably for a long time thereafter.
It is both surprising and yet not at all that many of those of my generation are now running the show and that their behaviors are surfacing, some of which are being noticed thanks to a media whose scruples are also in question, thus compounding and confusing the issue.
And to top this all off, though we had numerous capable, intelligent, respected, honest women running for president we somehow got another old white fart to oppose the one whose gross derrière occasionally is seated in the Oval Office for photo ops. Gee, do I think there might be a conspiracy to continue the screwing over of women? Or for that matter fucking up our planet, also referred to as Mother…Earth? Yep.
This sort of blatant disrespect of all aspects of the feminine, the nurturing, the welcoming, the healing, the compassion of humanity has called my attention to the imbalance being exhibited the world over. We can see it by the angry folk carrying loaded guns, threatening and committing violence, the children locked away from parents who are also incarcerated, wars for whatever, our waters/oceans polluted by man made waste, our bodies disabled by pollution now prone to deathly disease and we must not forget those whose ungodly warped desire for power is corrupting our once better judgement.
I am often tempted to cry out to the cosmos “HELP!” But I fear the only thing I might hear in response will be “ME Too!” Nevertheless I believe I will do this today.
Tune in.
Janet Bernson 