Early in the afternoon on Saturday, as I walked up Delaware Avenue, a most remarkable thing occurred – I was greeted with a honk, wave and smile all from the same man driving past me.
I know that many are offended by this type of uninvited attention, but as a woman who recently acknowledged that she was, in fact, middle aged, a time in life which woman often say makes them feel newly invisible, I welcomed the compliment.
At 55, I’ll simply take it with appreciative grace.
My walk yesterday had a purpose far beyond garnering an ego boosting honk. You see, I was on my way to the I’ve-been-to-too-damn-many-of-these-to-count rally for reproductive rights. Maybe you were there, too? Despite only seeing a couple of friends, it turns out a lot of them were there, even but I only learned of their presence via social media after the event was over. Of course they were there.
Those women always show up.
While I was surprised to not run into more familiar faces while at the Capitol, I was thrilled by the turnout. It was a beautiful crowd, full of faces of all colors and ages. Particularly impressive were the speakers, beginning with our new governor. Hochul, our first female governor, made it clear that our state will continue to respect women and their right to access health care, including safe and legal abortion.
The governor was followed by an array of eloquent and passionate women, each of whom shared their own experiences and perspective with an audience who embraced their honest voices. Despite the number of times I’ve gathered with women to support this cause, I felt newly energized. Inspired even.
This fight isn’t over. We’re not going back.
Just like that unexpected horn toot, I never imagined the need to rally in support of fundamental healthcare continuing to occur all these years later. It’s more than time for one of those to finally stop.
DelSo 