Hand Over Your Man Card

The shooting death of Chris Lane and the beating death of the Delbert Belton  (World War II vet) this week done by "bored" male teenagers got me thinking about some things in this culture.

#1 ~ When I was bored as a teenager, my friends and I would play basketball or football. Sometimes, when we were alone, we would listen music or watch TV. Most scandalous of all, if we got bored, we got jobs. The nerve of of us, I know.

#2 ~ I grew up in a rural/redneck type culture. If you fought someone, it was one on one. That was the man way of fighting. If you ganged up on someone, you were considered a coward. Don't get me wrong, your friends would be there at the fight, but would only step in to save you if you were losing.

Now, that you're more on my wavelength, I can continue with my thought. If you need a buddy to help you beat up an 88 year old man, YOU ARE NOT A MAN. 

Hand over your man card.

If you need two of your 'homies' (I'm not using the other word) to help you shoot a man. YOU ARE NOT A MAN.

Hand over your man card.

If you do either one of these despicable things, no matter what the group around you says, YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT A MAN!!

Hand over your man card NOW!

Don't worry. I'll keep it safe. There's a chance that you can earn it back. There are rules. Things like getting a job, staying out of trouble, wearing your pants OVER your pants. 

Good luck!

My #SGS13 Review

First of all, I want to thank Stacy Mott, Teri Christoph, and the rest of the Smart Girls for putting on a wonderful conference. I know there was probably a lot of bumps behind the scenes, but you all made it look smooth. Also, thank you for the extras you had this year. I hope we can do gun ranges more often! 

This was my second Smart Girl Summit and it won't be my last. I met so many inspiring and powerful women in 2012 that I had to come to the 2013 one. One of the things that I loved, was that this was a first conference for a good percentage of the women that attended. Another thing that I liked about this year, the bloggers were in the same room as the speakers. Makes it easier to talk to my friends. The food, mainly, the banquet dinner. You can't leave with an empty stomach. Steak & asparagus? Yes, please! 

One of my favorite highlights of the weekend, happened during the Q&A portion of the panel about "Minority Outreach". A star was born! Her name: Cecilia Johnson. Remember that name. She is from Kansas City and heads a group of "Hood Cons". As much as I would love to say she's shy, I can't. Keep an eye out for her. I have a feeling this weekend was just a launching pad for her.

The other highlight, The Sausage Cookie Showdown. I was asked to bring a couple dozen to the summit by the one they are named after. Little did I know, someone else was going to bring their own cookies. Mine were your run of the mill type chocolate maple sausage cookie. (I'm told they tasted like devil's food cake) His were called 'gourmet' sausage cookie. He used chorizo and cayenne pepper. (They had a bit of a kick) 

I learn more every year about activism, politics, and how big of an impact each one of us can have. I can't wait for SGS14. They never disappoint. I love the speakers. I love the panels. So full of information and they're willing to share and to help. This will be an annual conference for me.