Hommage to my Girlfriends It was the last writing workshop last night. We talked about actually getting published, and my short story, among two others, was deemed attractive to the publishing market, which I think is pretty cool. I still think I like the idea of self-publishing, but perhaps I should investigate sending it out to appropriate publications once the final edits are in. The participants in the workshop have been great, but I've found myself being uncharacteristically shy, perhaps because the subject of the workshop is "writing from memoir" and I've revealed much to these strangers in a short amount of time. There is definitely a one participant, a woman about my age give or take, who seems to quite despise me. She actually said that I used "too many adjectives", which reminded me of the scene in Amadeus, where Mozart is told by the King of France that his music contains "too many notes". This comment just confirmed the vibe I had been getting from her during the whole workshop. This is a rarity in my life--women in particular tend to take quite a shine to me. (Men, of course, are another matter.) The last time I felt this kind of quirky contempt was while I was doing my Master's. There was a handful of women who treated me like I was a bimbo. I think it was the lipstick and the heels I wore (I was working part-time at IBM at the time). There was some incongruity, I suppose, between the lips that were painted scarlet and the lips that were adept at speaking intelligently about almost any post-modern text. Yup, I adored Jean Baudrillard, but adored shopping more. Baudrillard would approve, at least. So, this is a hommage to all the wonderful women in my life who love me as I am and never fail to make me feel special. A, who's known me the longest and knows me best. She rarely judges and chastises--but when she does it makes me a better person. Li, who I met only a couple of years ago, but who's an integral part of my life. Her energy and chuztpah is forever admirable. Le, also a new friend, who, with wisdom and gentleness, always expresses faith in me. J, more than a colleague, constantly suprises me with her strength and incredible advise. C, also much more than a colleague, someone I know I can share much with, which is usually a good belly laugh. The "Slander Girls", who confirm that smart is beautiful and sexy. ...and all the wonderful women I encounter daily. (I don't wish to insult my boy pals, but simply remind them that "it's different for girls".)