USA Women...Triumph
Brian R. Martens
Mythmaker | Poet/Author | Creativity Facilitator | International Speaker | Podcaster
Jul 22 · 8 min read
It has been a few weeks since the USA women's soccer team won the World Cup in Soccer. It made headlines but not big enough headlines. The headlines in all the major newspapers could have read, “USA WOMENS SOCCER TEAM WINS THE WORLD CUP,” but that mostly didn’t happen. Thankfully, Women then spoke up about the pay disparity between men and women in soccer and actually all sports. I believe it got some traction and it did not get enough traction. I am curious to know when women will be equally appreciated for the impact and the contribution they make to society.
It reminds me of the cross-cultural indigenous studies I engage in. Maybe there are still people who don’t realize this, but all humans have a masculine and a feminine part to themselves. In other words we have masculine and feminine traits in our DNA. And, as we know from our own family life and learning from our society and culture, there is an infinite range of both characteristics within us and how they are expressed through us. Therefore, it makes sense to foster and encourage a learning about both genders because it deepens our engagement with life. It also makes sense to me that women, due to their current revival and increased role in leadership in all facets of our society and culture, may be the ones to encourage men to collaborate and engage more fully in this process, and the larger problem is that more men need to listen. Neither gender can do this alone, nor do we want this to be the case. At this time in our evolution it will not work to have a Matriarchal or Patriarchal society, it must be a blend of both., working together and appreciating each other.
Basically, I’m really pissed and angry that we, in the USA, have fallen behind in basic equality for people living here. Maybe we cannot heal the whole world from equality, but this is our birthright as a country. Our Declaration was that everyone is created equal. I also know that people are different in many ways and that we will never be equal financially, in how we think, and our patterns and how we live. I am just asking that we continue to move forward on this issue and that when disparity arrises, as in the pay disparity with athletes, that the ruling organizations and officials look honestly at the issue and solve it and bring into alignment new reforms. I can understand that women are fed up.
The Dalai Lama said that “Western women will save the world,” in a speech at the Vancouver Peace Summit in 2009. I believe this is possible and I am looking for strong and vulnerable men to step up and assist in this epic undertaking. That was ten years ago and as evidenced by the wage disparity issue there is still work to be done.
Frankly, I have been thinking of writing this article for weeks since our women won the Cup, but have resisted until now. I have been going through a questioning period of my own creativity and what direction I’m headed. Now, we are in a retrograde Mercury, a murky communication time astrologically, which will go direct at the end of July. I am assessing where to go with these articles and podcasts. I know for me that I have to be passionate about what I’m creating or else I lose interest and play in my garden or do house projects that can keep my creativity pacified for the time being.
I think August will bring more clarity as to my direction and creative passions. For my listeners and readers I know there is no shortage of blogs,podcasts, and articles to read so it is important for me to be timely and also deeply engaging in what I provide. I am also learning a great deal from exposing myself in the written and spoken word. It is also important for me to share my learnings for those people looking for guidance or mentoring. I want to give the tips and shortcuts that have helped me be to be a better, compassionate, loving person. Also, my process has been to write an article and produce a podcast every two weeks for the last two years which includes about 37–40 offerings. I have broken the string of every two weeks and I am glad that I have because it is time to shake things up for me. I want to envision something more passionate and engaging or at least valuable to read and listen to. I trust the next steps will be revealed in August.
Another announcement I have is that my book, “Three Raven Gate,” which was under contract to be published has been canceled for now. The publisher was not able to meet any deadlines that they had set. The frustration finally ended in a mutual cancellation of the contract. This result was actually very freeing and I felt a great release to be away from that agreement. It was time to move forward to next possibilities. I am open to other publishers and that I may self publish or include it in a larger volume of my more recent poems. Time will tell. I am always open for comments and feedback.
So, I want to go back to the USA women's soccer team and the recent poor comments from our President, and it is questionable at this point if he is actually fit to be a president considering his typical comments. I usually don’t like to talk about politics because it can be very divisive and we see now how polarizing it is. The job of the president is to speak for the country as a whole and to bring us together rather than apart. Because of his comments and his actions the USA Women’s soccer team has declined to go to the White House for recognition. Good for them, actions speak louder than words.
Considering the winning of the World Cup Soccer Championship by the USA Women’s team, I imagine that women all over the world in underprivileged countries can dream of being a woman with the types of freedom that American women have. Because soccer, or futbol, or football as most of the world call the game, is watched all over the world, it becomes a stage for women to see and envision what other women are doing in the world. Secretly, I wonder if they dream of being one of these women playing a game professionally, traveling the world because of their training and ability. The USA team is made up of women of color and diverse backgrounds which shows how open we are to other people of the world coming here to express their abilities and passion for their expertise.
Because the American life is portrayed as “larger than life,” by many less privileged cultures, with freedom of speech, religion, and sexual orientation, what do these women dream of for themselves and their families? What are the dreams and passions of those women around the world who don’t have the freedoms we have? Some cultures in the world today still treat women as they were treated hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Some cultures haven’t changed their beliefs or customs for hundreds of years while Nature one of our greatest teachers is constantly changing as the weather and seasons do. Is it fear? Is it peer or cultural pressure? Haven’t they seen how other women live and understand that anything is possible? What do you want in this Life? What are you willing to risk to change beliefs and customs that are stifling creativity, your vision, your transformation?
Throughout history many famous women have ruled countries, Russia, England and China to name a few. Women have all the capabilities and capacities that men do. Each gender can offer their own strengths and weaknesses to learn and move the world forward rather than backward and this takes strong, compassionate leadership from the top down.
What are your leadership qualities that are waiting to be released to the world. What are your creative gifts that your community needs. What are you passionate about that can light a fire under others with similar interests, and where is the greatest need for your gifts and talents.
The balance of the month of July is a great time to go inward and assess your next steps. What is your body saying is necessary, what does your creative mind want to express, and where is the best place to put forth your energy. August will reveal some of the answers after you have done your work. Trust, listen to the small voice within, and know action absorbs anxiety.
I leave you with a profound poem by Patrick Overton which I have used before with his permission. It’s called “Faith.”
Faith
When you walk to the edge of all the light you have
and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,
you must believe that one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid for you to stand upon,
or, you will be taught how to fly.
Create and be well…
Brian R. Martens
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Brian writes poetry concerned with the “Human Condition”, and such topics as Awareness, Transformation, and Deep Intuition. He seeks to inspire and motivate people.