This is cool ... something good.  Two invited me to a lecture on the work of Maya Angelou ... and it rocked.  When that question of "Who do you admire ... living or dead ... " comes up, she is always the first woman I think of.  I am so proud to be on the planet with her at the same time ... she seems ... just good ... not saintly good, just good people good ... and I like how well she lives in her own skin.  I like how she says what she says and I like that she says it ... I like that her voice is big enough to speak for those who have no voice ... or perhaps only a very, almost silent one.  I like that she is.  She just is.  I like that about her.  And I like her actual voice ... the part that touches my ears.  And ... I'm not someone who likes to hug strangers ... but I feel hugged by Maya Angelou when I read her words or see her on some recorded something.   Okay ... so the lecture was good ... interesting and that would have been enough joy for one day, or maybe even a week if I had to stretch it out.  But/And ... we were given tickets to attend Ms. Angelou's upcoming speaking engagement.  I will enjoy hearing her and seeing her in real life.  Very cool.  In November.

There is something I am wondering about which is related to the wound that "slavery"legacy ... I get that there is what I'm thinking of as "the overcoming victim"  the ... traveler of higher ground so to speak ... I see how a shared history provides cohesiveness.  I think I understand the dynamics of what "slavery" is and does to a people and a person ... I think I get it.  What I don't get is this:  Why not take all that somewhat impotent angst and direct it towards the explosive sex slave industry?  I mean ... slavery is "among us" ... it is a current issue ... currently ravaging the society that we people ... people of what ever chosen distinction (even those distinctions which were evilly forced upon us as a people group) share.  I'm not trying to discount the wrong, just noticing that the wrong is silently continuing and wondering why it's not more of a front burner issue.  Sometimes it seems like we spend time stirring yesterday's pot.  And ... I wonder what I can do about this thing ... slavery with supports evil via the sex trade.  It just seems like there is a lot of energy surrounding slavery issues that might be helpfully directed towards right now.  I'm going to bethinking about this.  Not watching TV may be a handicap here because maybe a lot is being done that I just don't know about.  I didn't even know about sex trafficking until this year.  Duh ... yeah.