Message Received, Universe
Do you ever feel like the universe is trying to get you to pay attention to something…and it's being really loud and obvious about it? I used to have much different response to the story of Moses and the burning bush than I do now; I once looked at the story very solemnly–now it makes me laugh with recognition. I totally get it. How many burning bushes does it take to get us (read: me) to "now turn aside, and see this great sight"? My friend Phebe once asked, "I wonder how many times he'd passed that bush? Maybe that was just the first time he noticed it?"
I've had [another/ongoing] burning bush experience, my friends, and good things are coming. If you've visited before, you probably noticed that my site has already been tweaked…there's plenty more of that as part of my Plan [ie, my turning aside to see this great SITE. Ha! No seriously, I am not making light of this. LIGHT! Ha! OK, time to refocus…)
Anyway, at the very moment I'd been giving some serious thought to my "WHY"–writing for girls, writing focused on character, contributing something substantial and positive to the world of books for kids--this article about the Disney Princess effect on girls in today's "highly sexualized environment" arrived in the mail. I can't stop thinking about it and it is my why. There is a whole movement underway to save girlhood, support girls, "redefine girly," empower girls to think and be strong, bold, smart…basically to not hide from being a girl because GIRLS ARE NECESSARY; they hold up half the sky, after all.
This is all just a long, wordy way of saying…change is a comin', starting with the focus of my blog. Look for the launch of my new campaign coming soon!
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Looking forward to seeing the new and improved campaign! Five people forwarded me the Disney Princess Effect article and i read it. I don't know. We never got that into Disney other than an occasional movie (Grace came home from kindergarten one day after spring break and asked if I had ever heard of a place called "Disney World?")Disney is a convenient target for something that is more amorphous. I think has more to do with the consumer culture that we have a hard time escaping. For many years we were a one-income family. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for two working parents. I am tired after work. Popping movies into a dvd player is totally understandable. I grew up in front of tv and I knew i didn't want it for our kids. I never liked telling people that we didn't do tv because I thought that they thought that i thought that I was a morally superior parent. I don't feel that way at all. I just did't like the influence. I don't know which is worse - kids shows constantly depicting kids being "cute and sassy" to their parents, because they always know better than their fuddy-duddy parents or all the commercials telling them they can't be happy without whatever. I just makes life easier not to have to police that stuff. I don't think my kids are any better or worse off than others, but our household is peaceful - so that is worth it for me.
