The Company You Keep

I have spent the last two weekends surrounded by women. Two weeks I ago I went to Atlanta for my college reunion. All ladies. Well there were men there for entertainment purposes. Cause you know we need some eye candy. But when we did our ritual/traditional stuff: dressing in all white and leading the new graduates under the sacred arch, traveling down memory lane at our annual banquet, singing our school song, it was all about the sisterhood.

Last weekend I was at a women’s prayer retreat surrounded by true women of God. I’m talking about some serious prayer warriors. I’m talking about women who done seen some things, had some troubles, been on the brink of debt, despair, and death, and are still down with G-O-D! Imagine 2 ½ days of a bunch of singing, praisin & prayin women, the West Virginia mountains, and JESUS! Yeah it’s pretty powerful stuff.

These two experiences made me remember how much I love being around women. I never understood when a woman says, “I don’t like to hang around females that much. All my friends are guys.” Something in that statement makes me raise my eyebrows and cock my head to one side so I can get a better look at this chick. And I realize that they have never known the wonderfulness that is being surrounded by bout it, bout it women.

I mean obviously I love men. I need them for stuff. Lifting heavy objects, killing bugs, procreation. And conversation and such (I am not that shallow). But I do believe in the collective power of women. I have seen what women can do when we are leaders, working together for the greater good. I have heard from people (men mostly) that you can’t put a bunch of women in a room together because they won’t get along. Pish posh and pishaw I say. And then this leads me back to the question that has been reverberating in my mind: who are these chicks? Obviously men aren’t pulling these statements out of thin air. Something has led them to this conclusion. They must have seen such disagreements occur. Or they have been fought over by two silly women who don't realize he ain't worth it. Or they have learned how to artfully play women without repurcussion.

These chicks need to be learned about what a group of women can do when we put our minds to it. Seriously, all women need to get on the same program. Think of what would happen if we single women all agreed to close our legs, brought men to their knees, and made them get them get their act together What if we all agreed to keep our hands to ourselves and not mess with someone else’s man or husband? What if we were committed to looking out for each other? Oh man! The power that women possess when working together. It would be awesome. But it would also mean that we would have to really have that Come to Jesus meeting I've been calling for. And I mean all of us. Even the ones we give the side eye to when they come into the club with all their stuff on display. Even the ones we think are beyond help. They just haven't learned the deal! And you only know what you know. So the meeting will be December 31, 2008, so we can start the New Year off right! Raise your hand if you’ll be able to attend!

That’s my time y’all! Happy Rum Punch Friday!