— from Anji Ringzin —

According to the Washington Post, when the results of the presidential election became clear, Grandmother Teresa Shook — a retired attorney in Hawaii — turned to the Facebook page Pantsuit Nation, and asked: What if women marched on Washington? The seeds for the epic Women’s marches were sown.

You may write me down in history,
With your bitter twisted lies.
You may tread me in the very dirt,
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

–Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was surely there in spirit, when her poem (which she dedicated to Hillary Clinton) was recited at the rally before the march.

Leaving our hotel wearing our “pussyhats’ and carrying our signs, the hotel staff, cab drivers, and people in the streets exuded a feeling of admiration and respect towards us – we felt very safe. The mood in the city seemed almost euphoric. It made me think of the story my mother told me of the mood of euphoric solidarity in London when war broke out, and everyone knew they had to come together to survive.

We made our way to the coffeehouse near the park where we had planned to meet up, but the lines of marchers were so long that we decided to go directly to the Park. Some of us Orcas women were able to locate each other, although it became increasingly unlikely as Judkins Park became filled to the point where we could barely move.

My favorite sign was “Grandmothers against Bullshit.” The majority of signs stated “Women’s Rights are Human Rights.”

Cell phone service was sparse, so although we were texting each other, and sharing our locations, a lot of the texts went undelivered. We moved like thick treacle in a sea of lovely “nasty women” and some equally lovely gentlemen, also wearing pink “pussyhats.” Our group must have been at the back of the group, as we continued at a snail’s pace. I read that some in the march had reached the destination at the fountain, before others had even left the park. In truth I had no idea of where we were located, but, having arrived early, we must have been in that latter group.

Someone snapped this image of two Seattle policemen wearing the hats – precious.

At one point we snaked out way to the edge of the crowd, in single file, holding on to each other’s sleeves. The mood was quietly exuberant, as we realized we were part of something epic! Truly loving kindness prevailed.

Several Eagles were spotted circling over the march and cheers broke out and spread through the marchers in waves.

Amazing – this surely is what an enlightened society would feel like!

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