“And this instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform,
by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life,
because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing.
Disrespect invites disrespect.
Violence incites violence.
When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
– Meryl Streep
https://youtu.be/NxyGmyEby40
I have regained my voice.
It had mostly disappeared for this past week, leaving me sounding like a broken squeaky toy. In between taking tiny breaths, like I was using a sippy cup for oxygen, I sucked on cough drops.
I decided to be quite grown up in my approach to this, and, especially this past weekend, I mostly hung around at home, drinking tea, reading and deleting some of my thousands of photographs in an attempt to honour my resolution to clean up my photo mess.
Suddenly I felt the loss of not being able to phone any friends; this from a person who rarely phones anyone. But, like anything we can’t have, as soon as I realized I couldn’t do it…I needed to…desperately.
At one point I saw an old friend. My voice had recently morphed from squeaky to a whiskey-sounding-baritone. I gave her my best lounge-singer hello. “You had this same thing last New Year’s, ” she said.
I had completely forgotten that. I mentioned it to Kevin and we remembered other New Year’s where I started the year either silent or croaking. Clearly, there seems to be a bit of a trend.
And then I remembered my dad’s episodes of laryngitis. I can think of several times where he was rendered mute.
So is it only a cold? A coincidence? A family tradition? I’m not sure. But I am pleased to know that I am in stellar company.
Last night Meryl Streep used her very hoarse voice to talk about abuse of power. She talked about bullying and disrespect and how it incites further ugliness. In short, instead of talking about herself and her lifetime achievement award, she stressed the importance of speaking out against all that is wrong. She asked us to be vigilant against the culture of the President-elect’s passion for division.
So yes, I am happy to report I once again have a voice.
And like Meryl Streep says, we have to use it.
Let us choose to stand up, not stand by.
Be vigilant in your kindness. Exude fierce grace.
The world needs more Meryl.
Hmmmm….
I love Meryl Streep as an actor – she is so good – and yes she chose her moment not to dwell on her achievements (which shows what a person she is) but on the imminent inauguration of the next president of the USA. How powerful and how true what she said. Yes we do need more Meryl.
Catherine. Isn’t it amazing that one of the most accomplished actors of our time decided that the more pressing message had to be a warning about the President-elect? I think one of the reason she is so amazing is her obvious integrity. She’s trustworthy and daring…a wonderful combination. I’m so glad she spoke out and I love that it was heard around the world.
Check out propolis astragalus as a spray and NEVER suffer a sore throat again. Absolutely no side effects and unlike over the counter meds actually is good for the liver.
Noblesse oblige …never hit a man from a horse back……… has always been taught to princes so they could understand it as a principle of good governance.
Obviously this principle has not been taught to Trump and Streep was correct to publicly notice this deficit, in my opinion.
Have a wonderful 2017.
Mary Jane. Thanks for the tip on propolis astragalus…What I’ve read so far, it sounds very promising.
I like the horse back illustration of noblesse oblige. One definition says, “the inferred responsibility of privileged people to act with generosity and nobility toward those less privileged.” I think you’re quite right that the President-elect never got the handout on that one.
Thanks for the New Year wishes. I’m sending you the same. All the best.
First of all, sorry to hear you have been sick! Not cool being sick over the holidays! Glad you are on the mend!
As for Meryl, I have always adored her and now, even more. She “calls ’em like she sees ’em” — for sure. The woman has class. Unlike the “other guy” who went on Twitter to call her an “over-rated actress.” I about peed my pants laughing. It’s really unbelievable that he will be the leader of this country I have adopted. Scares the shit out of me, honestly. So, yes, I applaud Meryl Streep for using the platform she had to speak that message.
Hey Gwen. It really is unbelievable. I keep thinking there will be something that builds toward an impeachment or something to stop the whole thing in its tracks. Still waiting…
And yes, Meryl is class. tRump is crass. I guess he didn’t quite get the ‘lifetime achievement’ award when he called her overrated and then his sidekick KellyAnne Conway says Meryl Streep was ‘inciting people’s worst instincts’. The irony. Oh my the irony.
Kelly Anne Conway denounced Streep as using her platform to incite people to violence.
Trump and his flunkies apparently have no awareness of their own (unintended ?) ironic abilities.
Isn’t that just so crazy Joan??? How do they manage to keep a straight face when they throw this stuff out there? The magnitude of the irony is off the chart.
This too we share. Boxing Day my throat was on fire, followed by sneezing, headache and coughing. By New Year’s Day I was better, but then it returned with a vengeance … coughing at night, squeaking by day and self pity. However, for the first time this year, I went for a walk in the rain this afternoon — happy to see it. Tomorrow that damn arctic front will return for a 4th time.
But Meryl Streep — ain’t she great! I’ve watched and re-watched and then again on GlobalTV News. She was spot on!
Oh my Miz Martha. Too bizarre that we both ended up on the mouse microphone. I went for my big walk today too. Felt great, though every time a car went by I swear the exhaust made me feel like a canary in a gold mine. It’s still pretty hyper-sensitive.
But yes, let’s talk about Meryl! Man, I admire her so much. I love that anyone else would have used that time to talk about their lifetime of achievements, what with the award and all (!) but instead she used her time to get her the message out. Wonderful stuff.