Tonight I volunteered to take photos of Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party, who was speaking on Salt Spring when the guy who organized it couldn't be there and asked if I'd do it. It has been quite a while since I've been at an event where I've had to try and take candid shots of someone in the way I used to as a community newspaper reporter. I forgot how challenging it can be at times. I forgot that I'm now approaching 50 and sitting on the floor cross legged so as not to block the view of the people behind me in order to get a good shot is, well, painful. Kundalini yoga is calling my name but obviously not loudly enough.
Bill Henderson of Chilliwack fame was sitting behind me. Didn't want to block his view. Valdy opened the evening with a tune or two. And, Elizabeth May was on shaking hands, greeting people, smiling, and as I watched her and tried to catch her in a good light, her best side, I just kept thinking, what in the world would make a woman in Canada want to be part of the House of Commons and question period. That sexist zoo of freaks who act in a way that would not be allowed in any other environment in Canada. And, she herself said that it's much worse in person than on TV because of the constant heckling and cat calling and comments towards women like, I guess you're not on your meds today, etc.
The whole scene makes me sick. So, I just was listening to this intelligent woman thinking why in the world would anyone want to be part of that regardless of how much they might tell themselves that it's for the betterment of the country.
Anyway, I suppose I'm glad she does want to be. Good for her. I'd vote for her. Matter of fact, I think I will.
Afterwards writer Brian Brett was speaking on his new book Trauma Farm. I was going to go listen to him but there was a gap in time and whenever there's a gap in time and there's nothing for me to do, it's just easier to come home after a long day when I'm tired so I did. But, I decided to look up this Trauma Farm (great name) and find out what I was missing and while I did that, what should I come across but Margaret Atwood's Twitter page.
Call me crazy but there is something seriously wrong with the world when Margaret Atwood has a twitter page. Why? Does she really write it? Why? Margaret Atwood does not require a Twitter page! Is her publicist writing. Please god tell me that Margaret Atwood does not sit down and text in Tweets. That's nuts. That just does not fit my image of Margaret Atwood and I'm indignant that my image could be so wrong.
She does not need Twitter. She does not need anything but whatever she needs to continue doing what she does best: Writing. Not tweeting. Not some stupid, useless, waste of time less than 140 characters on how she refrained from drinking non organic coffee between flights. Are you kidding me? That's ridiculous.
I saw Margaret Atwood at UBC in the mid 1980s. She seemed kind of Wicken-like. Long black cape. Very drawl. Glib. Not the kind of personality that would give one flying you know what about Twitter. So, what gives?