Yogis,
Spring clean up has begun on the community flower gardens along our town’s main
street. Last week was our annual mulching event where those of us who garden
and volunteers gather for a few hours of spreading.
During the event I became aware of something.
It started when one of the women showed up with her broom.
An old-fashioned corn broom. She promptly positioned herself toward the back of
the group. As we completed a section she would come behind, sweeping away what fell
in the path and tidying up the garden edges.
Ah, I see. She is the ‘sweeper’ in the group. I am not the
sweeper. It never occurred to me to bring a broom or take on that role.
A few other women brought straight metal rakes. They would ask for a pile of mulch to be dumped and they would smooth it out across the area. Again….not me. I am a ‘down on my knees, hands in the dirt’ mulching type. No gloves, of course.
The woman who organizes the event drives the small tractor
that carries the cans of mulch from the truck to the gardens. With a no-nonsense
approach, she bee lines back and forth and you better watch your toes. The
perfect role for her that she returns to year after year. She keeps things moving and points out issues.
But is she in charge? No. No one is boss.
Were there men? Yes, of course. They instinctively took jobs
of loading and unloading large cans and wheelbarrows of mulch. Always asking
where and when to dump.
A well-oiled machine. I realized I was watching a matriarchy
in process.
A matriarchy does not simply mean we put women in charge. That doesn’t change the triangle shape of patriarchy that our culture, society and economy are built on. A matriarchy is in the shape of a circle. All working together. To shift to this takes a deep structural change, not just a change in personnel.
And what is in the center of the circle? Children, elderly
and vulnerable.
Mulching made this all so much clearer.
Craving a circle,
SARAH
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