R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Last week my friend Jane and I took ourselves to Act II Playhouse in Ambler, PA to see "Respect: A Musical Journey f Women" adapted from Dorothy Marcic's book of the same name. Ah geez, it was really fabulous. Do you remember any of these songs?
(If not, go ask your mother). Go on and open another tab so you have a sound track to listen to while you read.
Johnny Angel, I Will Follow You, Sweet Talkin' Guy, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, I Will Survive, These Boots Were Made for Walking and of course RESPECT!

The premise of Dorothy's research for her book was to look at (listen to) the top 40 hits performed by women over the last about 100 year; a parade of lonely hearts, in-love hearts and the tragically brokenhearted. You'd think women had nothing else to think about, right? It was a very fun evening, a lot of laughs, a few little tears and some singin' and dancin'. (Yours truly got up on stage at the end to dance - I was inVITed!)

So here's some synchronicity for ya'll. Also recently, I had a(n interrupted) conversation with a young woman on the topic of aprons. If you read any of the sewing blogs, you know that aprons have been in full bloom as a trend for quite some time. I would never EVER IN A MILLION years have worn an apron as a young woman. Aprons symbolized women's servitude and repression (not to get too preachy here). My mother and all the other 50's/60's moms wore aprons as they went merrily dusting and cooking and cleaning up after their families and looking up to their husbands. Creepy Stepford Wife-y.

So now women in their 30's are reclaiming the apron as a symbol. It's kinda cool that we've evolved to that point, right?

Meantime, here is a India.Arie singing Video. Play that for yourself and your daughters and the men in your life while you are at it.