"The View" from Chicago: An Informal Gabfest

Women and talking go together like a hand in glove.
This past Saturday I ventured over to Malcom X College in Chicago to cover a story on an annual event produced by Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-7). In essence it was a Town Hall meeting held for constituents of the 7th Congressional District. various workshops were held on a myriad of topics of interest to district residents. There were vendors from area social services agencies, government agencies and private retail businesses. It was a good time.

As I was leaving, about 2PM I happened by a vendor I'd not seen and stopped to admire her original art. Her name is Marchel'le Barber. To my delight she is a fellow journalist and an entrepreneur I'd remembered reading about from the South suburbs. While we were chatting about a myriad of topics, browsers and potential customers wandered by to admire her artwork display, occasionally speaking. Suzanne Hanney, also a fellow writer was one who stopped to chat for a minute (how awesome is God?). Engaging and full of opinion, Suzanne made Marchel'le and I laugh out loud with her unique perspective on a slew of topics including the presidential race (on which we spent an enormous amount of time offering commentary and perspective).

Finally, we met our last 'gabfest panelist', Ms. Phyllis Powell, an IT specialist, a strong, opinionated woman who is "unashamedly" and "unapoligetically". For over 2 hours (my son says closer to 3), we chatted and laughed; offered rebuttals and agreed (seldom); and reiterated how wonderful it was to have met. At the end ( as security was threatening to lock us inside overnite) we offered huggs and exchanged contact info.
Three black women from totally different backgrounds and some similarities; together with one blonde from a different background, culture and some similarities; four women with respect for each others' differences in backgrounds, ideas, ideals, political views, sexual attitudes, gender attitudes, race relations and faith beliefs.

On the ride home I was left with two thoughts:
1). The magic of the "sisterhood" is that we (as women) are more alike than different.
2). That given a platform, indeed women will talk to each other until we've resolved all of this world's social ills.
My son later told me it reminded him of watching a live episode of "The View"-- only funnier. I hadn't thought of that, but maybe that's why that show works.