C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Be Strong. Be a Penguin. AND AtoZ Challenge Theme Reveal, 2016

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#InkRipples is a themed meme hosted by Mary Waibel, Katie L. Carroll, and Kai Strand. They post on the first Monday of every month. If you would like to participate compose your own post regarding the theme of the month, include any of the images displayed on their page, and link back to our their blogs. Feel free to post whenever you want during the month, but be sure to include #inkripples when you promote so readers can find you. The idea is that we toss a word or idea into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There is no wrong interpretation.

Here are the other topics coming up.

April – Poetry
May – Memories
June – Movies
July – Inspiration
August – Guilty Pleasures
September – Banned Books
October – Masks
November – Heritage
December – Cookies



Be Strong. Be a Penguin

It was an activist era, those 1960s. People rose up against the war in Vietnam. People rebelled against the corporate coat and tie culture with musicals like Hair. And women burned their bras to signal they were tired of being denied top-level jobs with equal pay just because they were women. 

Good job people of the 1960s, but did you finish that job? No, but it’s not your fault. It’s because cultures are like icebergs—we only see a small portion of what’s happening, the rest is out of sight and mostly out of awareness. Any real change is often glacial. 
About fifty years have passed since the bra-burning protests, and today there are still studies that conclude: “On average, depending on the type of institution in which women are employed, it takes women from one year to three and a half years longer than men to attain the rank of professor. According to the survey, women at the rank of associate professor appear to be standing still in relation to men.” (Standing Still: The Associate Professor Survey, 2009) This happens to be about the world of academia—the world I’m most familiar with, but if I were doing an in-depth article, I’m sure I’d find similar ones in other professions and occupations. 
Because I’m so fond of metaphor, bear with me while I extend this one about icebergs. I stumbled on a New York Times  article that prompted me to write on this aspect of feminism for #InkRipples. In it the author said there was , “. . . a recent report about several hundred thousand penguins trapped by a collapsed glacier in Antarctica. Thousands had died, but the ones that survived did so only through perseverance — regularly traveling some 40 miles across barren nothingness to reach the ocean.”
The author struck a perfect way to cheer on the women of today who continue to seek the equality of pay and position in their field of work. We should all strive to be those penguins who won’t let the icy waters of cultural tradition stop them. 


Quote of the Week:
“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.” Nora Ephron, Commencement Ceremony Wellesley Class of 1996

AtoZ Challenge Theme Reveal, 2016

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 I’m not just going to TELL you. I’m going to SHOW you my theme. You guess.

And my AtoZ Blog Challenge Theme 2016 is? 

Comments

  6. What an interesting post and I loved the Ephron quote. 🙂

    I can't wait to hear your theme! The guesses are awesome!
    ~Jess

    Reply

  9. Hmmm, I have encountered my fair share of sexism in the work place but my bolshiness wouldn't stand for it. I was the only female School Director within an organisation of five international schools; actually there were very few female leaders in the hierarchy. During this time, I was accused of being 'girly' during a presentation: I said "that's probably because I am female and am able to connect with people quite well" (quite an essential part as we were in a people business). I do believe that as a woman, we need to work harder at being recognised for our skills but if we are confident and 'bolshy' when necessary, we can make a huge difference and gain our rightful place. Fascinating post, Lee. Look forward to seeing your A to Z posts. Have a lovely weekend.

    Reply

  13. Your theme looks interesting, though I don't know what it is!

    I work in IT as a programmer, and yeah, I can see a gender ratio difference here. My two co-workers are guys. My supervisor is a guy. My manager is a guy. All the tech guys are guys. The network guy, the Windows server guy, the Linux server guy, the Cisco router guy… yeah, all guys. Does that make me a penguin?

    Reply

  14. Obviously, it's Cuba, which has been front and centre since the U.S. trade embargo was lifted. Canadians have long cherished Cuba as an economical vacation destination. I've never been there myself, but my friends who have rave about it. Looking forwardto your posts!

    Reply

  18. I'm going with Cuba. I watched Obama and Raul Castro give their press conference and from the few images I saw of Old Havana, the old American cars from the 50's, your theme seems to shout Cuba. I hope it does. One thing that blew me away in the Q&A session ( which is unheard of in and of itself) when Obama spoke of our differences on human rights, Casto countered with how the Cuban Government takes care of their pregnant women and they have free healthcare, free education and that's what they consider human rights and that their women receive equal pay, implying Americans do not. He had a point. While I don't know if he was telling the truth about Cuba, I know we don't have those things in the U.S. I've gone off on a tangent, but if your theme is Cuba, I'm looking forward to learning more about it. If I'm wrong, I will be back to see what your theme is. My theme reveal is number 244 on the list.

    Reply

  19. My first thought for your theme is Cuba. My second is travel. Whether I am correct or not, I am sure it is a great theme! Looking forward to your posts. 🙂

    Reply

  24. Your theme is TRAVEL!
    The #InkRipples sounds like a wonderful initiative…

    Choose not to be a lady? My mother always told us to behave like ladies!! I think we were "brainwashed" into this kind of behavior. LOL I mean that in a positive way.
    She's mellowed over the years…(God bless her 86-year-old-soul)

    I'm showcasing blogger books & book reviews…plus there will be loads of giveaways!
    See you around on the A to Z circuit!

    Writer In Transit

    Reply

  33. Hi Clem! Great post. Looks like travel might be your theme. I'll come by occasionally to have a bo peep.

    In a recent article on feminism, I read that feminism is only for middle class women. Poor women still have the same old struggles. Sadly, what started in the '60s and '70s only started a ripple, but when you look at gender issues today, that ripple is now pretty much a stagnant pond.

    Reply

  34. I used to really want to go to Cuba, I still do but only not as much now that it isn't forbidden… The Apple has lost it's crispness

    Reply

  40. HI, Lee,

    I think You'd appreciate this. I was in a 20th Women's fiction class with ALL WOMEN. I and one other guy were the only two males in a class of 30 or so. Our professor was a TOTAL FEMINIST, which I admire.

    But, on our first paper I remember how hard I worked on mine and only got a B (I was normally a straight A student), so I was a bit miffed, ESPECIALLY, the she ended up reading a paper from a student which was a TOTAL opinionated piece. And of course, she got an A.

    I realized something very pivotal from the reading list she had required us to read…. All the woman were strong, opinionated, and aggressive, and the men were portrayed as WOMANIZERS or WIMPS!

    This annoyed me. So for the next paper I decided to do a counter piece to the one my fellow student wrote. My title….

    The Degradation of the Male Hero in Woman's 20th Century Fiction…

    Well to make a long story short, my professor had many sleepless night trying to prove me wrong. She read my paper and asked for help from the female students….

    None could. LOL.

    I received a much coveted A, but after class she pulled me aside. Her eyes were fiery and intense. "You got me. I SO wanted to prove you wrong….You are a very savvy young man ( I was 19 at the time). She further told me that this paper was PUBLISHABLE!!!!!! And she would submit it to her publisher for me.

    I DECLINED. LIKE AN IDIOT!!!! Back then I was only interested in my art. STUPID< STUPID<STUPID! Imagine I could have been published in 1980… UGH!
    (sorry for the mini novel. lol)

    Reply

  44. Ah, that 1957 Chevie. 1955 Chevie was the car my fiance bought just before we got married in 1961! Wow, that was such a long time ago.

    I'm looking forward to your posts next month. I know they'll be fascinating. I've signed up to get email notices when you post. I'm also, as someone says above, very bad with riddles. My guess is travel.

    Thanks so much for your comment on my recent (sad) post. Heart-wrenching stories and awesome photographs/visuals stay with me. Your post is visually stunning!

    Reply

  45. The car is a 1957 Chevrolet, right? I'm guessing but the last picture is Che, I think. I look forward to all you have to say about Cuba.
    All the best.
    Shalom,
    Pat

    Reply

  53. As long as we *allow* men to hold the majority of the power then we are complicit in our own subjugation.

    I have a strong feeling that your theme is going to be about Cuba. I'm not revealing mine as I like surprising people. All I'll say about it is I hope my posts bring a smile, something I think we all need in these strange times.

    Reply

  55. Cuba?

    I know I've taken pay hits because I put my kids first. When I was working, I'd pass on promotions and took time off which put me behind. But those were my choices and I think the great thing about the work of the ladies in the 60s is that we have choices.

    Reply

    • Putting your family first is costly in one way, but so rewarding in another. I did the same, but in the end I don't regret not having that extra cash around. I have other things more valuable.

      Reply

  58. Your A-Z theme sure is timely. Great idea!

    I'm so annoyed with women in general and younger US women in particular. Because prejudice isn't easily visible (at least in the US), younger women who are in college, just entered the job market, or are unmarried, honestly believe that it doesn't exist and don't know "what the fuss is about." They don't understand how much harder a woman has to work for the respect, money, and power men are given so easily. (I'm especially annoyed with erotica fans and those who're voting for Bernie. They should be fighting sexualization and denigration, support role models who're strong and independent, and appreciate how a woman who's paid her dues over 40 years and been ignored and attacked needs to finally be given a chance, especially when so many other countries have female leaders but not the US. Do they think this is an accident? Ha! It's due to cultural subjugation of women even after all these years.)

    Awesome post!! 🙂

    Reply

  60. As a woman, I'm thankful I was born in America, but the unfair standards of old are still there, sneaky as ever, trying to undermine our worth. The current political scene is one example!
    Your theme…hmmm, let's see. Maybe Brazil, but Cuba is probably it!

    Reply

  62. I hope it's Cuba!

    It's really sad how far women still have to go, after all these years. If people ever have any doubts, all they need do is post a "feminist" comment on Twitter. Cue the trolls with pitchforks and rape threats!

    Reply

  65. Cuba theme?

    Humans clamor for change, but then for many things they whine when the get it. The only way to truly change things massively is to force it down people's throats.

    Reply

  67. I think your theme is about Cuba.

    It really annoys me that we're still struggling with the same issues that we struggled with decades ago. And yet, there WAS progress. We just need to make sure we keep progressing.

    Reply

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