"Women, the whole of us, are victims to the culture at large in which we
live in that does not
allow us the time, money or ecological purity to live healthy lifestyles."
Well, as Lisa said at the beginning of this post, I agree and disagree. If I
look at the situation from a detached point of view, as if I were from
another planet studying our culture, I see how one could make that
statement. And god knows, I think we all know the feeling of "not enough
time, not enough money, not enough this or that"! Some of us live in that
space most of our lives - it's certainly a niche that is there, begging to
be occupied.
But as a woman, a fellow traveler, a creator of culture at least as much as
a recipient of it, I will not be a victim to this culture. I will work to
change it, and to soften its impact on all I touch. Half of the population
cannot be "victims"; to be a victim in this context is to put oneself in a
place of powerlessness and weakness and submission. I won't go there, and I
will do all in my power to change the conditions that make it seem so, and
to empower all human beings (starting with the babies!) I can reach to
understand that it is not so and need not be so.
Lest you think I'm off the bfing track here - oh no, far from it! Serving
women and babies by supporting BFing is my vehicle for the message that we
are *not*, and must not allow ourselves to be used as, victims of the world
in which we find ourselves.
Hah - subversion cloaked as a mild-mannered LC!! And they think that we
nurses and others who care for babies are a sentimental bunch of softies,
just going about our traditional "women's work"! MY true agenda disguised
behind a pair of breasts and a sympathetic smile!
Cathy Bargar RN IBCLC Ithaca NY (wondering how old one has to be to qualify
as a curmudgeon?)
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
