Big Mattress Song of the Week
Hopeful Ground -Deanna Edwards
(To hear, please click on red button top right corner of main blog page.)
“Hopeful Ground came about after I attended a meeting at my next door neighbor Gwendolyn Field's house. Responding to media reports that Obama's weakest demographic was "woman of a certain age," she got the idea (after talking to other women in Carmel) that maybe we should try to get the word out as to why many of us were in fact voting for Obama- even those of us who had formerly been Independents, Republicans or Libertarians.
After this meeting, I was inspired to write Hopeful Ground. What I had experienced at that gathering was much wisdom, good humor and hopefulness. Most of these women were not particularly political, but we all felt this was a pivotal year for America- not only for America's unfolding of Her unique mythic energies- but for Her relationships with the rest of the world. Obama, we felt, had the vision and energy to attend to the realization of this unfolding.
(more below)
I realized as I was writing the song, that even though our insights and energies were those belonging to seasoned women, it was the young girl in each of us that was being unfurled, aroused and enthusiastically projected into the world. At some point in time, the little girl, (and little boy) greets the mother/father, and the elder...and these three archetypes begin to walk and talk together...about life. At times they are just as confused as they always were- but now they are undaunted- and now they have one another.
Women's voices have always had a special interest for me. My mother lost her ability to speak after a stroke, and was never able to communicate verbally for over 17 years. She was- in some ways like Obama's mother- a single mother, with no relatives, no money, and raising two children on her own. She was a fiercely dedicated woman: brave, intelligent, gentle, full of optimism and hope, and with a beautiful singing voice.
This song (with background accompaniment of Angie Jarees) is for my mother as much as for Obama's campaign. To me it is this hopeful ground we must share between us all that will carry America forward into the future.”
-Deanna McKinstry Edwards
Comments
WHAT RED BUTTON????? Is this a stupidity test? J'accuse of not supplying a LINK.
Posted by: Susan B | October 13, 2008 3:55 AM
Susan B:
You are probably a subscriber, and when you get the Big Mattress blog notifications, you see the new posts in the list. When you click on a post, you end up in that post's comment section, (just as where you are right now). From here you cannot see that “red button”.
Go to the blog itself (http://bigmattress.com/weblog/) where you can view the entire page and you will see the red button- I promise:
Posted by: Charles Laquidara | October 13, 2008 4:47 AM
That Susan should not be confused with THIS Susan. I found the damn red button right away. :)
Susan
Posted by: susan | October 15, 2008 12:25 PM