women who brunch

Here's To The Ladies Who Lunch,
Everybody laugh.
Lounging in their caftans and planning
a brunch, on their own behalf.

Off to the gym,
Then to a fitting, claiming they're fat.
And looking grim, 'cause they've been sitting,
Choosing a hat. (“The Ladies Who Lunch”, Stephen Sondheim)

When I was the Executive Director of a few communal centers I had the opportunity to meet with wealthy donors capable of providing substantial financial gifts to our agency. I was grateful for their charitable gifts and their priority in assisting in keeping our budget in the black. At first I found it difficult to “do the ask” for sums of money that I had neither ever earned myself or had never spent in my private life. But I realized that the greater good of the community was reason enough to learn how to ask and gratefully receive.

We had one event, a wine tasting day at Napa, and I would have the opportunity to meet and greet some new individuals in hopes of providing them with the story of my agency. I was mingling with some new people, who knew I was the Executive Director but in reality knew nothing more. It was our fourth glass of tasting wine, when two of the ladies commented how this winery reminded them a summer’s visit to a resort in Northern California. They looked at me and said you know the Blue Mountain Resort, you’ve been there Gerry, I am sure. I hadn’t but before I could answer, another women chimed in and said the Blue Mountain resort was okay for rooms running at $550 a night but for real luxury try the Northern California Inn, rooms are $750 but you are treated like a queen.

Then the two other ladies looked at me and said, have you been to either, and if you haven’t you should go at least once, you will come back for more.

My first response, to myself was REALLY, do you know my salary as a communal worker? Then I looked at the ladies who were now talking about decorating their second home as if everyone had a second home, and thought I suppose this is THEIR world and this is how they live it.Will they ever understand my world?

And here's to the girls who stay smart,
Aren't they a gas?
Rushing to their classes in optical art,
Wishing it would pass.

Another long, exhausting day.
Another thousand dollars!
A matinee, a Pinter play!
Perhaps a piece, of Mahler's!

I'll drink to that!
And one for Mahler... (“The Ladies Who Lunch”, Stephen Sondheim)

Ann Romney was called to task because she never worked and ONLY was a stay at home Mom. She was appalled first via Twitter, then via FOX News, that anyone would consider a stay at home Mom was not as hard working a Mom as a working mother.The Dems hate stay at home Moms, the Dems are elitists, the Dems have shown that THEY are waging a war against women, Ann on cue would answer and a sight tear tried to drip from her eye. And Ann’s husband, running for president, who confers to his wife Ann for all topics women, was totally insulted.

And then it was discovered during one of Romney’s flip-flops-flips, Mr. Romney said that food stamp women, women who are receiving welfare, should go to work to earn their money. They are not working when they stay at home. And yesterday, Ann Romney gleefully stated to a private meeting of high end donors, that this was the perfect birthday gift and she could be happier to be handed this attack for her staying at home.Don’t you just lov politics.

Ann Romney had 5 sons to take care of, a big job indeed, but Ann Romney did not have to worry about receiving welfare, food stamps or a monthly income enabling her to afford the good life for her 5 sons. Mr. Romney had no concern in telling his wife to go out and get a real job she wasn’t lazy. And now like some scripted outrage, the Republicans want Americans to think there is a war on stay at home Moms created by the Dems.

It seems the Romney’s have no idea of how the poor, unemployed, middle class women live or cope or survive. It’s a life style outside of their own experiences. There is nothing wrong with them being wealthy, but there is a whole lot wrong with people like Mitt Romney becoming president and not understanding terms like equal and fair.It is a scary thought for this man of privilege to create laws for those not in the same privileged society in which he and his stay at home wife, Ann lives.

How deeper of a divide do we want for this nation? How much greater the gap of we vs they do we deserve? How come real life for the wealthy is not real life for anyone else? And people still believe Mitt Romney is the right man for president, and Ann Romney the first lady!!!

Here's to the girls who play wife,
Aren't they too much?
Keeping house but clutching a copy of 'Life',
Just to keep in touch.
The ones who follow the rules,
And meet themselves at the schools,
Too busy to know that they're fools,
Aren't they a gem?
I'll drink to them.
Let's all drink to them (“The Ladies Who Lunch”, Stephen Sondheim)