Small steps, big changes.

I follow Shaun Usher’s blog, Letters of Note, where a fascinating letter is posted every day.  Sometimes, the letter was written by someone famous.  Sometimes, it is by someone for whom this posting of the letter is all the fame he or she will ever get.  (The former slave writing to his master is one such.)

The hope for humanity to which I am referring does not lie in these letters.

It lies in Shaun.  Or, Mr. Usher, I should say.  (I am, by the skin of my teeth, of a generation that was taught a certain formality toward people one does not know, in spite of uneasy, although often delighted, co-existence with a less stately present.  And don’t get me started wondering why I’ve somehow begun identifying myself as “of a generation.”  I think it may be the beginning of the end!)

At any rate, I have a little extra hope for humanity today because Mr. Usher, last Wednesday, wrote a letter of his own to all his readers.  In it, he noted that he had concluded that too few of the letters on his website were written by women.  He had decided to “redress the balance” and was asking for recommendations.  (He has since noted that he’s been inundated with letters as a result, so please don’t rush off and send him more.  Yet.  Let’s wait until he asks.)

This, to me, is a remarkable occurrence.

I’m a member of 50/50 in 2020 and the Women’s Initiative.   I was involved in the mid-80’s with the Women’s Project.  These are all organizations that seek to draw attention to an enormous inequality in the theatre industry in terms of opportunities for women.  One of the biggest hurdles they all face is in having the current lack of gender parity even recognized.  Data is difficult to gather, often ignored or explained away by factors having little to do with gender.  As a result, more than half the world’s stories remain untold.

To have someone announce that he has come to the conclusion that he is only telling part of the story and intends to change that is, as I said, a remarkable occurrence.

It’s especially amazing if he came to that realization all on his own without nudging of wife, sister, mother, girlfriend, etc.

Maybe he did, and maybe he didn’t.  I don’t know.  And I don’t suppose it really matters.  He has the power to take some action, and he’s taking it.

The two days immediately following this announcement and request featured wonderful letters by Clementine Churchill and the incomparable Katharine Hepburn.  (There’s even a film clip of Hepburn reading her letter to Spencer Tracy.)

I look forward to all the days to come.  In the meantime, here’s a letter:

Dear Mr. Usher,

Thank you!

Elaine

Not of much note–but definitely sincere!