Sunday WORD OF THE DAY
Strand-up comedy
The way one's hair can look first thing in the morning, sticking straight up in all directions.
When Michelle woke up this morning, her hair looked like a strand-up comedy.
It's a great day today. If your a woman that is. If you love flowers, today is your day. It is IWD.
It's not Mother's day or Grandmother's day or even Secretary's day. Today is the day to honor women.
From Wikipedia:
International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.
The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, as in the listed countries the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season.
I just this moment called one of my closest friends, Natalie. She is from the Ukraine and I wholeheartedly wished her a Happy International Women's Day. She giggle some and said "thank you my friend" She told me she received lovely flowers from her husband and her nephew.
I am not certain what to make of this International Women's Day! It's not that I don't think we deserve this day, I just think that what it stands for should have happened long ago.
2000 and Beyond:
IWD is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers. With more women in the boardroom, and women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.
However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.
Today, I really want to celebrate with all the amazing women I've met here on the blogosphere. Each and every one of you are unique and beautiful and intelligent and charming and hilarious and tenacious and successful and helpful and supportive and loving and generous and incredible and athletic and calm and cheeky and just a tad insane but I love you all just the same.
Here are some of the amazing women in my life:
Just to keep with the theme of this post, that being how great women are and to remind each and every one of you just how amazing I am and how narcissist I can be:
1) I would love to receive flowers from each and every one of my readers
2) WHY? Because I am great!
3) I am only thinking of myself always
4) I am amazing
5) I am the best runner EVAH!
Which brings me to, yes i did run yesterday. I wasn't planning on it. It kinda just happened. Sort of "Go on then, run." "Isn't there some kind of like, special technique?" "Well, yeah. You put one leg in front of the other over and over again really fast!!! I was already yelled at. So, yeah!!
"To start, press any key. Where's the ANY key?"
"Smell ya later friends, Smell ya later forever."
Posts
