2 Ladies Died Today

   Margaret Thatcher changed the face of politics for many females of my generation. England had many Queens before Thatcher, but Queens sit, they don't exactly "act". As Prime Minister though Thatcher was allowed to act and react. Perhaps it was because of how technology had advanced, the advent of Television, that brought Thatcher into our homes; but it was her politics that should have had us stammered. Thatcher chose to surround herself with men. She made the decision to be tough. She made the decision to stand for the Right regardless of moral or rational consequences.
   Today while every young lady in America is quick searching quotes from Thatcher trying to honor her, I present you with the truth: She was a politician. Period.
   For those who tell me not to love my President just because he is a black guy, I beg you to not adore Baroness Thatcher just because she was a woman.


http://irishecho.com/?p=69392

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/oct/06/pinochet.chile

   Meanwhile another woman passed away today. A woman who was just as tough. Annette Funicello passed away after her struggle with MS. Funicello spoke openly about being a single mother. She spoke openly about how success had changed her family dynamics. She set up a charity so studies could be done on neurological diseases like MS.
   I found Annette Funicello when I was very young. She was in a bikini on a beach surrounded by teenage boys and girls, free from parental authority, talking about love and sex, and relationships. I found her on my cousin's TV set. Annette made it clear that her sexuality was hers alone and not to be undone by just any boy. She drove Frankie crazy. She introduced me to a girl named Candy who could dance like no one I had ever seen before. I wore Candy's dress to my prom. I held onto it and wore  it to a Christmas party a few years before my house fire. It was a symbol of my youth, my emergence as a single mom, my sexuality.
   Annette made it okay to know who you were as a woman. She made it okay to be free. She made it okay to ask questions. She made it okay to feel and forgive.
   Two ladies died today, both of them changed the world. One made me sad because she wasn't the feminine, empathetic leader that I had hoped for. One made me happy because she  didn't just embrace her own life, she took it seriously. Both impacted my life through music. Yes, Thatcher had songs written about her. Two ladies died today, as did a little of my youth. May they both find peace.