Pink Barbie Carry On

I’m headed back home for a summer-time visit. Really excited to see family and friends. But right now I’m at Heathrow, in a typical long distance traveling state – slightly delusional on a mixture of sleep deprivation and cappuccino.

Any attempt of Zen accumulation is being destroyed by the traffic rubbing up against my seat – at a choke point. There are few seats left at the massive zone one lounge. I’ve noticed that Heathrow is declaring Kuala a lump of poo. (the gate board isn’t big enough to accommodate the city’s full name, so it’s Kuala Lumpu).

I like airports. People watching is fun. How do people become so different? So many people, adults and children, are running over toes with their large wheeled carry-ons as they race through the maze of people, making sure not to make eye contact. Then there’s this little girl who carefully navigates her pink Barbie bag past everyone’s limbs as she follows her dad who’s equally as cognizant of the other humans. This family may have missed their flight, but everyone smiled as they passed.

I’ve also noticed throughout my life that women (thanks mom) possess these special powers of humanity unlike any other animal we can talk to (although males may experience communication failure). This is why people in Sierra Leone are working hard to build the capacity of women to take on key decision-making roles in the government. These were just words I read before I got here. Now I understand.

I’ve heard it many times before “ if women were in charge of the world, it would be a better place”. I heard it, but never really listened (see failure to communicate). Little Barbie bag girl just tipped the logic balance in my brain, and I truly believe it now. There’s no way women would have allowed this to be part of a constitution “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” There would be no war in Iraq and there’s little chance children would go starving.