More About the Vagina Monologues

When Eve Ensler was developing "The Vagina Monologues" she started with hundreds of "Vagina Interviews". Women were asked a series of questions and the monologues came out of these varied and fascinating interviews. I have been thinking about the questions this past few weeks and decided I would dare to post my own answers.

• If your vagina got dressed what would it wear? A white cotton batiste nightgown, soft from several washings. It would be long and tailored like a man's shirt.


• If it could speak, what would it say? Whatever it wanted to say. Whenever it wanted to say it. Without fear. It's always been gutsier than I am.


• What does your vagina remind you of? "The Dinner Party" by Judy Chicago. The Emily Dickinson setting especially. It reminds me of the vagina and the vagina reminds me of it.


• What's special about your vagina? It's mine. They're all special. They're defining.


• What does it smell like? An October walk on the beach in Monterey.

If this prompts you to write your own thoughts, wonderful! If this is too much information, relax!

And Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.

Friday Five: Signs of Hope, Signs of Spring

Sally posted these hope filled questions for the RGBP Friday Five.

1. Sign of hope? Tonight I was part of a group that performed "The Vagina Monologues." As we heard the challenge to end violence against women and girls in the next decade, I was filled with a sense of hope. Hope that perhaps this is possible. If not in whole, at least in part. I was delighted by this strong group of women who dared to speak such amazing words. And delighted by the response of the men and women who shared the evening with us.


2. An unexpected word of light in a dark place? A friend noticed something in me this week and said so... It's too long and complicated to explain the whole thing, but being noticed for a certain gift affirmed it... affirmed me... and it was a light for my day that I will hold onto for days to come.


3. A sign of spring? There are groovy little green things poking up from the ground in the churchyard. My favorites are on their way... tulips!


4. Challenging/ surprising? Being invited to participate in the Vagina Monologues was a surprising challenge. (I got to moan a la Grace Slick at one point in the evening.) I never tried out for plays in school. My dramatic performances have been mostly the kind that pastors take on during VBS. That and first person sermons. It was a challenge to speak vagina vocabulary tonight. And a surprise that I like wandering out of my box. I need to do more of that.


5. Share a hope for the coming week/month/year.... See number 4.

Bonus play... a piece of music/ poem guaranteed to cheer you? I have been listening to Cole Porter songs on my Ipod of late. Cheers me up every time.

Strange Days Indeed

Tonight the television was on and suddenly I looked up to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus do something strange with her lipstick. "The New Adventures of Old Christine" is not my favorite show, but I do so wish I could have saved the two opening minutes of the show. The reason is this....

.... Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in the delightful shade of "Nutmeg." Last night the Bug Man walked into the bedroom looking like a bad Lucille Ball impressionist. He had picked up the Chick's Lip Shimmer and used it like regular chapstick. It is NOT regular chapstick. He did know how goofy he looked before strolling into our room, but he wanted to "share".

Tonight, "Old Christine" was moaning about her recent boyfriend break up and did the exact same thing. I paused the TiVo and waited until the Bug Man came back into the room. Too strange to be believed.

The really hard to believe part is that the Man couldn't tell the difference between chapstick and lip shimmer. Here's hoping he doesn't throw the nutmeg colored stuff in a coat pocket before heading off to work some day!