January 2004

"Let me listen to me and not to them"

Gertrude Stein
American Writer, (1874-1946)
quoted in
Women’s Wit and Wisdom
(1991, Running Press, Philadelphia)

As 2004 begins, we’re experiencing our collective annual reflection on the past year. The media have analyzed the major events and milestones of 2003, provided lists of who’s in and who’s out, what’s hot and what’s not, as well as anticipated events yet to come.

All of this analysis--Monday-morning quarterbacking, hindsight, prognostication, and fortune telling--is normal, especially at this time of year. As we mentioned in our column three years ago, January is named after the Roman god, Janus. This particular deity was known as the god of transitions, because he had two faces--one on each side of his head. He was able to look both forward and backward, and he presided over the progression from past to future.

Since ancient times, humans have wanted to understand the past and know what the future holds. From sojourners to the ancient Oracle at Delphi to those who seek the wisdom of modern day "oracles" such as Omaha’s Warren Buffet, the need for reassurance of a bright future is ever present. We all want to believe that someone outside ourselves has all the answers to our questions about the meaning of life, and the events yet to come.

The problem is, no one can truly predict the future! As a child, I was fascinated by famous seeress Jeane Dixon, who was profiled and promoted in Ruth Montgomery’s " A Gift of Prophecy: The Phenomenal Jeane Dixon (1965, Bantam Books, New York). Recently, I found this book while poking around an antiquarian bookstore. It seems that way back in 1952, Jeane allegedly had a vision regarding the death of a U.S. President elected in 1960. In Montgomery’s book, Ms. Dixon was called the "woman who predicted Kennedy’s assassination." While that may have been the case, in the same book, she also predicted that Russia would put a man on the moon in about 1968. Oops!

Another book which had an influence in my childhood was "Criswell Predicts". This particular "prophet" had my cousin and me in near hysterics as we read predictions about garbage cans rolling up the streets, general chaos, hellfire and brimstone, and the world coming to an end in 1999. To this day, the mere mention of this book can send us into fits of laughter. Incidentally, you can read more about Criswell in an article by Stephen Thompson in The Onion.

When it comes to prophecy, most of us are on our own. A year ago, could you have predicted everything that would happen to you in the 365 days ahead? Of course not. While we can make plans, all we really have to deal with is the present moment. And we do have help--as long as we learn to trust our own internal guidance system--our intuition. Learning to take quiet time each day to listen to the "still, small voice within" will enhance our lives.

It’s a tough, crazy, unpredictable world out there, but we can find solace "within". As you begin your new year, here’s a few resources which may inspire you. We’ve mentioned some before, but they stand the test of time and are wonderful books for finding your way to a fuller appreciation of your life:

John O’Donohue’s Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom (1997, Harper Collins, New York.)

Julia Cameron's The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (1992, Putnam, New York.)

Lifetimetv.com is partnering with the New York City Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence, along with NASDAQ and singer-activist Michael Bolton, to work on the Times Square Project. This project is "bringing together nonprofit organizations, corporations and hundreds of advocates willing to speak up against violence against women." According to their web site, "every week from April 25, 2003, through April 16, 2004, special signs and tickers around Times Square will salute one woman, one man, and a nonprofit organization taking a stand to stop violence against women." (FFI: About The Times Square Project, call Lifetime's public affairs department at 212-424-7195.)

The December 2003 issue of Vogue featured an article by Deborah Scroggins about the women of Al-Qaeda. Ms. Scroggins sounds the alarm about a new danger, and the reasons why women are flocking to bin Laden’s cause.

More magazine’s December/January issue featured Eilene Zimmerman’s wonderful article about "gifts that keep giving"--good causes which can use your cash donations. Among the organizations she profiles are:

The December issue of Spirituality and Health magazine featured Ingrid Ekstrom’s piece called "What Image Represents Woman," a report on San Francisco’s International Museum of Women and their sponsorship of an exhibit called, "Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art."

We heard from Alan Rosenberg, director, producer, and writer of "A Brief Flight", the documentary on Chinese-American aviator Hazel Ying Lee, which will be rebroadcast on PBS stations in March. Until this groundbreaking work was aired on PBS, this remarkable woman was largely unknown. Congratulations to Mr. Rosenberg and everyone on the team at LAWAS Films who worked so hard on this wonderful project!

We have more exciting news from the world of aviation. Air show headliner and three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, Patty Wagstaff, will be honored in the Class of 2004 43rd Annual Enshrinement ceremony at the National Aviation Hall of Fame in July! You can read more about this exciting event on their website. Congratulations to Patty!

According to Chase’s Annual Events, the following events/organizations/causes are observed in January:

National Mentoring Month - This month, the National Mentoring Partnership will "provide nationwide publicity and info about mentoring programs in various communities that need volunteers."

January is Senior Women’s Travel Month, according to Poshnosh.com. We mentioned this fun and informative site in our August 2002 edition of WITNE. FFI: maryann@poshnosh.com