Top 10 Personal Highlights of the Women's Workshop

2006-12-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

1. I had the honor of being in a powerful support group led by Gwen B. Each of the 5 women in this group had a significant impact on my workshop experience.

2. The workshop leader Diane's direction that we look at where lie to ourseleves as women fit well with my own recent decision to be more honest with myself.

3. Getting to know and admire a woman, Mary F., who has had some similar life experiences to myself.

4. Making contact with a woman across the room, Lorena B., and subsequently getting to know, works with and be led by her.

5. This large group of women showed how competent, inspiring, fierce, funny, generous and powerful they are.

6. Being boldly led in the midwesterners topic group by Pam O. In particularly, Pam's ability to navigate the issue of classism was precedent setting for me.

7. Openly showing how proud I am of myself. In particularly I shared my pride in my fundraising; my marriage; my reproductive decisions; my anti-racist activism; my women's support group; my physical health and self-care; my innovative counseling techniques and experiments; my strength as a midwestern woman; and my ability to connect and initiate fun with others (such as my female seatmates on both plane trips).

8. The Jewish liberation done at this work was phenomenal. Highlights for me included the workshop site; the shabbat ceremony and dinner: Julie S.'s encouragement for everyone to be in the center; and Diane's leadership in her counseling demonstrations and talks.

9. Valerie J.'s magnificent organizing. Particular hightlights for me were the pre-workshop constituency reports; pre-arranged groups; full schedule; the video and audiotaping; fantastic transportation coordination; excellent food; song sheets; art, creativity and resource sharing in meeting room; hearing devices; incorporation of the male allies; and the numerous thoughtful actions around inclusion.

10. The workshop leader Diane B.'s engaging talks about the history of radical feminism, her experiences teaching women's studies; how to think about the project of child raising and the history of women's liberation work in Re-Evaluation Counseling.