How I Almost Made it to the First Women’s March

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I tried, I really tried. I made a YUGE effort to get to the Women’s March in Los Angeles and sat in the subway station for over 2 hours. It was packed like sardines. Thank goodness. I’m not claustrophobic. Each time a train came through and stopped it was at full capacity and only a few people could squeeze in.

The North Hollywood Metro Red Line is the first stop on the way to Union Station. Passengers coming back to NOHO are supposed to get off the train but they didn’t.  They got on at Universal Studios and went back to North Hollywood because otherwise they’d never have a chance in hell to get on the train.

Who could blame them?

What was amazing is that no one in North Hollywood berated them. Instead, everyone cheered each time a train took off for downtown. We held our own rally inside the subway station and some marched down the streets of North Hollywood.  Who cares if it wasn’t downtown with all the speakers and hoopla?  30 people held their own women’s march in Antarctica. How cool is that? (Well, maybe very cool. LOL)

I would have stayed longer at the station and tried my luck getting on, but had to be at a press event that evening and was afraid I wouldn’t get back in time. I felt horribly guilty because 750,000 somehow made it downtown, including most of my friends.  I rationalized that because I was 63 and had pulled a muscle in one of my legs, it was better to let all the 20 and 30-year-old kids squeeze into the train. After all, they’re our future. We did our share of protests and demonstrations in the 60’s and 70’s, right?

Not! The truth is, people of all ages, sexes, races,and religions were at women’s marches all over the U.S. and the world. I love this pic of the big guy with the pink hat.

Defeated, I walked back to my car (over 6,000 steps back and forth because the parking lot at the Metro station was full) went home and logged on Facebook. There were others who wanted to be there but were unable to attend because of disabilities, commitments, fear, or whatever. They were feeling as guilty as I was. I wrote to one of them:

There are all sorts of ways we can march even if we can’t physically be there. We can help spread awareness, write government officials, do good in the community and hold people accountable when they do wrong. Millions of women were there in spirit all over the world. It’s a beautiful thing.

And it’s true. Los Angeles is a YUGE city with a dinky transportation system. Marches in other cities may have been easier to get to but there’s no reason to feel guilty if you couldn’t make it happen. As long as your heart was there, that’s all that matters.

Now, to the women who didn’t “get” the women’s march

And there were many.

Luckily, I purged most of my nasty Facebook friends because I want it to be my happy place. A few made comments that they didn’t understand the point of the women’s march. Trump is President so why not get over it. But, the fact is, the march was not organized to protest his election. (even though some of us are clearly not happy about him)  It was about preserving women’s and human rights and all the work we did in the 60’s and 70’s to bring about change.

Some may have felt they couldn’t support the women’s march because it would mean they supported abortion. There was a small element of that in the woman’s march, but it wasn’t the focus.

Note – No one likes abortion. It’s an ugly thing. I know, I had one and have been haunted by it ever since. I wouldn’t wish that situation on anyone. Send me to hell if it makes you feel better. I’m convinced that the spirit of my unborn child is in my dog. I was 23 and my circumstances would have been extremely difficult. There are women today who have similar and much more horrific circumstances. They should have the right to choose and receive education and support for contraception.

The women’s march main focus was on basic human rights, respect, and inclusion. It was a message that we will not turn back the hands of time to darker days when bathrooms were labeled white and black or when women couldn’t vote. Unfortunately, there are countries in the world where that is still the case. I am an ancestor of immigrants, many of whom were Jewish, who came to the U.S. before WWII and were discriminated against.

I am hoping our “tremendous” voice will be heard, even if a code of silence has been imposed. We are committed to making a difference and holding our new administration accountable.

So, with that, I want to share a few images from my time in the North Hollywood metro station.

A woman’s place is with the resistance ~ Princess Lea

Much thanks to the rain God’s who made it possible for 750,000 women, men, and children to congregate in downtown Los Angeles before a huge rainstorm the next day. (which we dearly needed)

Need a pink pussy hat? Click here

I love LA!

Did you attend the Women’s March? Please leave a comment below.

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