Gloria Steinem: Champion Noticer

 

Gloria Steinem: Champion Noticer

At times it makes me wonder, why didn’t I know more about these wonderful wonderful women while they were alive? Why am I finding out now after the news of their passing away? In recent months this has happened almost back to back. First one I felt that way was the Marathi stage and film director Smt Vijaya Mehta. Then, last week, country singer, song writer, actress Dolly Parton. And yesterday, Gloria Steinem.

It is almost embarrassing to think that I had heard this name for years and didn’t know until today what she stood for all her life!  92 years and more than two thirds of them spent in redefining the place of women in society. 

In 2013 while honoring her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Obama called her “ a game changer “, “disruptor” and “champion noticer”. 

Indeed, to immediately notice what’s not right, and go about making it right, is a gift that few have. That’s what awakened people do. They notice!! And they resist flowing with the current that is flowing in the wrong direction. 

To have the clarity to describe what is wrong in a succinct manner and the conviction to use that clarity to bring about the necessary change takes a very special mind. Gloria Steinem had that as I’m seeing in the interview clips that are showing on the internet today. The world benefited from her mind. Especially women. 

Whoever reads about or knew about Gloria Steinem would know about why workplace equality for women, abortion rights, paid childcare, domestic violence reduction are issues that are linked to her name. Yet, when you listen to her in interviews, it is very clear that although she focused on women’s rights and issues, her awareness was not limited to women. She was able to see the necessity for correcting racial stereotypes and discrimination, uphold the rights of gays and lesbians and transgender people and such other artificially created barriers and hierarchies. Undoubtedly, she was far ahead of her times and always will be. Simply because the world is rather slow in listening to voices like hers and falling in line behind those voices. 

With just a few snippets of the interviews of her I got a fairly good idea of who she was, how she saw things and how she approached them. 

In one of the clips she was asked “ who would you pass on your torch to?”

She says ” I would like to keep my torch to myself “. 

Then adds” I would use it to light other torches”. 

She went on to say that each person ought to light and hold on to their own torch, listen not to her or anyone else but to the voice inside themselves. Without their torch, no wonder everyone is so lost and doesn’t know where to walk, she said. 

Haven’t heard truer words than that lately. In a world where people brag about number of followers on their social media accounts and want to establish their cults and create a community that worships them and their ideologies, she was simply asking for people to see with eyes open and think independently instead of become automated followers of social norms which may be inherently faulty. She stood simply as an example of how someone could stand up against the current and bring about meaningful change. She did not want anyone to copy what she did. She wanted them to understand what she was able to see and interpret it without the world interpreting it for them. 

The people of the world had a gem amongst them for 92 glorious years. Women in the present era are already enjoying several of the benefits that she won for them. But more than that, one can hope that many generations will try to understand who Gloria Steinem really was, and what was the message she carried for all. 

Rest in peace M’am. I’m sorry I didn’t know about you earlier. But I’m happy I know now. And you have already made an impression on me. Minds like yours do not go to the grave. They not just stay alive, they continue to awaken people for generations to come. We are lucky to have you. 

Dolly Parton, I still need to offer my salute to you sweet angel. The reason I haven’t yet done that is because I’m so mesmerized by your entire persona. It is going to take time to be able to put the thoughts together with some reasonable clarity and express what you mean to me after observing your videos, interviews and reading about you. One thing I have realized and will say here: There can never ever be anyone again like you. You were a class of your own