A little story about ignorance and how it can go either way:
Today I went to the post office to buy the beautiful new 19th Amendment Forever stamps.
I asked the woman for three pages of “the new suffrage stamps,” and she nodded and came back with a page of Ruth Asawa stamps.
Today I went to the post office to buy the beautiful new 19th Amendment Forever stamps.
I asked the woman for three pages of “the new suffrage stamps,” and she nodded and came back with a page of Ruth Asawa stamps.
“These?” she asked?
“No, the suffrage ones, please,” I answered.
She screwed up her face a bit—I could see her face, because she was wearing a face shield. “What is that word you say—?”
“Suffrage?” I said, again. I thought maybe she couldn’t hear me because of my mask.
“No, the suffrage ones, please,” I answered.
She screwed up her face a bit—I could see her face, because she was wearing a face shield. “What is that word you say—?”
“Suffrage?” I said, again. I thought maybe she couldn’t hear me because of my mask.
“What is that, suffrage, what does that mean?”
“Ah,” I said, delighted. “Suffrage is the right to vote. These stamps honor the 19th Amendment which have women the right to vote.”
She was listening intently.
“So,” she said, “Women’s suffrage is when women got the right to vote.”
“Ah,” I said, delighted. “Suffrage is the right to vote. These stamps honor the 19th Amendment which have women the right to vote.”
She was listening intently.
“So,” she said, “Women’s suffrage is when women got the right to vote.”
“Exactly,” I replied. “100 years ago this month.”
(Part of me wanted to add that not all women REALLY got the right to vote, that the 1965 Voting Rights Act was another episode in equal rights, but I didn’t. I had to get home to make dinner.)
And then...
(Part of me wanted to add that not all women REALLY got the right to vote, that the 1965 Voting Rights Act was another episode in equal rights, but I didn’t. I had to get home to make dinner.)
And then...
she said, simply, “Thank you for telling me that.”
And I said, “Thank you for asking.”
So this may sound like a simple little story. But I think it’s so much more.
She didn’t know, and she wasn’t defensive about it. She didn’t feel less than; she felt curious.
And I said, “Thank you for asking.”
So this may sound like a simple little story. But I think it’s so much more.
She didn’t know, and she wasn’t defensive about it. She didn’t feel less than; she felt curious.
And her curiosity felt brave & generous to me.
Ignorance—which I have a LOT of—is simply not knowing...yet. That’s all. Ignorance is pernicious only when it’s coupled with shame & steeped in fear. That’s where so much of our culture lives, & those who “know” are seen as enemies
Ignorance—which I have a LOT of—is simply not knowing...yet. That’s all. Ignorance is pernicious only when it’s coupled with shame & steeped in fear. That’s where so much of our culture lives, & those who “know” are seen as enemies
I, for ex., didn’t know who Ruth Asawa was until now, when I looked her up. I make a living asking people questions & being enlightened. (It’s a great gig.)
How different would our world be if we were vulnerable about our own ignorance & not supercilious about what we do know?
How different would our world be if we were vulnerable about our own ignorance & not supercilious about what we do know?
And here are the gorgeous stamps...thank you @USPS 
