I watched Dances With Wolves 20 long years ago(Has it really been THAT LONG?) and wondered who the actress was who played the part of the woman who had been adopted by the Indians was. This was in 1990, not before the days of the internet, but pretty close to it. I didn't get online until 1996, and by that time I had forgotten about the actress.
I noticed her again in Independence Day. She played the First Lady to Bill Pullman's president. Again, I didn't think to look her up on the now available(and beloved) Internet Movie Data Base. In fact, it wasn't until Battlestar Galactica showed up that I finally took the time to find out who Mary McDonnell was.
I got a chance to hear her speak at a local university yesterday. My bestie got tickets and God love her, picked one up for me! We had company for the lecture--friends of my friend from out of town. I got home late, but it was very much worth it!
Mary was bright, coherent, interesting, humorous, and of course, beautiful. It had occurred to me before the lecture that it is Women's History month, and it seemed very congruous to me that Mary McDonnell was the speaker and that she was speaking about women in leadership. She thought the same and mentioned that it was Women's History month at the beginning of her lecture.
It was very interesting to hear Mary's thoughts on why women still have obstacles to overcome. I don't know that I necessarily agree with her, but I do agree that women still have a heap of obstacles. At the same time, I was inspired by what she had to say. One particular thing that sticks out in my mind is that she said we need to take our whole selves with us in the things we do. In other words, we can be sensitive people even when we're wearing power suits. We can be pacifists and still view weapons as peacekeeping/life saving instruments.
That really spoke to me. As a teacher, I have a very difficult time being the authoritarian that students need and balancing it with the nurturing side of myself. It really is a matter of balance, and Mary mentioned that as well.
If you ever get the chance to hear Mary McDonnell speak, I highly recommend you take the chance!
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