R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Saturday night I celebrated with dear friends a hard earned victory of my name being removed from the Mormon Church. After dinner at Mazza a smaller group went out for drinks at the Tavernacle, an appropriate setting for the occasion. It was hilarious and funny and entertaining. Dueling pianists entertain the crowd and people put up money to request songs and if you hate the song and want it changed you add more money to the pot. It can get heated.

Before a song the more frequently hit on pianist said, "we are two dudes, this next song has $10 to play a chick song that is disrespectful to men. I don't want to play it." Various guys put up a total of $54 to not play that song and instead play one that is disrespectful to women. This gets me fired up. Recognize, Utah is a seat of patriarchy. To add fuel to my state the pianist said, "I know no one will match this because your boyfriends aren't going to lend you money and girls make less than guys." Roar!

I watched the crowd and what surprised me is no one even made an effort. I mention again a seat of patriarchy. In my purse I had $45 cash and tried to think of a good song on the spot. All I could come up with was Madonna, wanted something less sexual. Now I love Madonna, partly because she owns her sexuality. Not the tone I wanted to set.

Next time I go to the Tavernacle I'll have $150 in cash and a dance routine worked out for R-E-S-P-E-C-T popularized by Aretha Franklin.

Is this the best use of my hard-earned money? It might be. I donate a portion of every paycheck to organizations that empower women or seek to eradicate Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Utah not surprisingly has higher than national rates of both). If one night in my younger more insecure developing years while out at a bar I saw a woman powerfully tip the trend by handing the pianist one-hundred-and-fifty buck-a-roos of her own money and ask for R-E-S-P-E-C-T it may have made a big difference in my life. I would LOOOOOOVE to be that inspiration for a handful of women.

Monday I learned that I now work for a company (in Utah) with a woman as CEO. In Utah! My interactions will Jill have been brief and conversational so I don't know how suited she is for the task. I am happy to see this trend and thrilled to work at a company that is progressive enough for this to be accepted. Note: most of us are out-of-staters with the full number spectrum of area codes, might have something to do with it. Interesting times.