I
attended a women’s conference recently. Now,
most ladies will back me up when I say some such events are absolutely
enlightening. Others can be, well, downright
boring, but not this one. The females in
the room were an interesting mixture of younger and more mature (not “old”),
career women, retirees and new workforce members, moms and daughters, and
everything from community college students to seasoned professionals. Now, don’t get me wrong - I really like men. In fact, I mostly congregate with the male
species. But, spending a day engaging with
truly intriguing women was inspirational.
One speaker pointed out that women and men are “different”. That statement tickled me and I embarked on a
trip down Memory Lane.
The
recollection was of 1970’s Texas, where I was chosen Lions Club Queen after
being put on the spot before a room full of middle-aged male Lions with the impromptu
question “Do you believe in Women’s Lib?”
My naïve but honest response was: “Well, ya know, I have learned that men
are different from women,” which greatly amused this group of gentlemen. Before I knew it, I was sporting the coveted
Lions Club Queen tiara. Even better, the
Lions patted me on the head and awarded a college scholarship. Now, fast forward a few years later when,
with the help of that scholarship, I entered law school. Remember now, this was the ‘70’s, so the
practice of law was pretty much reserved for the boys - specifically, the good
ole boys. The local newspaper ran a sweet
photo of a smiling, long-haired young lady with the headline “A Stag Affair”, breaking
the earth-shattering news that the all-male legal community would soon be
infiltrated with a female once I graduated from law school. Becoming a lady lawyer in a man’s world was a
tremendous challenge that turned out to be a great move for me in the long run. And, I guess it’s pretty clear evidence that I
do, indeed, like the company of men.
But,
back to the women’s conference, where we laughed out loud as personality tests revealed
novel ways to deal with friends, co-workers, family, and nemeses. We paid rapt attention to a financial
expert who spoke to us like a girlfriend about serious monetary considerations unique
to women. The grand finale’ featured Heloise,
as in “Household Hints from Heloise”, whose mother started the infamous 1950’s advice
column which the daughter has turned into a thriving enterprise. So, from retirement accounts to professional
partners to recycling office supplies, we shared stories as only women do.
I am reminded that the differences between men
and women are as old as Adam and Eve. As Dr. John Gray puts it, “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus”, and I happen to like
it that way. (Incidentally, best-selling
author Gray is a native Texan, which probably accounts for his vast common
sense.) Yes, I do love and enjoy the men. Yet, once in awhile it’s
refreshing to have pure woman-to-woman encounters, just to trade recipes for
success.
