"I should do something with this"

Stephanie

April 3

Daily writing prompt

How would you improve your community?

I wrote an entire post about Jane Goodall in answer to this prompt, though that's not the question, is it!? It's Jane's 90th birthday though, and I wanted to highlight not so much her actual contributions, which are widely praised and known, but the way she's changed the world by pursuing her own curiosities.

I was fascinated to read in a recent NYT interview, that she didn't take a traditional path into her life's work, but rather first became a secretary to be able to be 'in the room' so to speak. Then, after already having some research credibility, went to Cambridge even before receiving a Bachelors. It wasn't an easy time to be a female scientist, especially not in this kind of field, in fact she didn't even see herself that way at first.

The thing was, I never wanted to be a scientist. Because when I was growing up, women weren't scientists. Articles began writing and saying, "Jane Goodall is only recognized because she's on the cover of National Geographic. And she's only on the cover of National Geographic because she's got good legs."

Beyond the article, I did some reading about her stands or lack thereof on various issues, and found that her work and activism has mattered a great deal to reducing animal testing. However there are some areas in which she has been more nuanced than the organizations she's been a part of could accept. This is not a time for heroes and villains, everyone's on a scale, eh? But I still see her solidly in the almost-hero range. Because of her work the world is far more aware of thin lines between we humans and so-called other creatures.

Thank you, Jane!

As for answering myself, and what I would do, I think that's relatively clear from the communities I've been a part of. I'm not one to benefit without offering some gesture of care in return, unless I feel shut out of doing so. I've talked about beginning to meditate before, for instance, but I never would have gotten into a routine if I hadn't volunteered to lead meditations before I was even established myself... just to keep the time for an online community, finding a quote and showing up every night at a certain time. I was hooked into doing that for a long time, just because there was a gap and I was willing.

This happens a lot with me.

There's also a strong and stubborn streak in me that advocates in weird ways along with straight forward ones. Faced with someone making a homophobic comment at work, I might respond in a "we" way as though I'm queer myself thus ensuring that at least the spaces I'm in there won't be so easily thoughtless. Or at least make the situation more ambiguous. Sure, this is small, but maybe that person thinks, "Oh, I just assumed this middle-aged white woman with three children would be straight. What else am I assuming?"

I guess in the examples that come to mind I'm saying it is just about care. One tries to care in the situation that presents itself. I'm not in a time of having a lot of resources at the moment, but I do contribute and vote and all the things, even when it is hard to convince myself it matters.

I prefer the immediate tangible things, and am trying to get better and better at those. It would make me perhaps a better member of a collective, which is the biggest thing I'd love to see in the US in particular, but also my circles. I value innovation and the expression of particular talents, but fame for its own sake is something we should de-emphasize.

I like the way Jane, seeing herself famous thought, "I should do something with this."