Today, I am trying to focus. I cannot. I am still filled with the fervor, excitement and strength from yesterday's woman's march. It left me with a feeling of energy and empowerment, as if I could do or accomplish anything right now (except write type up the minutes from last Saturday's meeting). So, I must write about my experience.
Yesterday afternoon, two members of the youth group and I met in the church office. I wearing my purple shirt that our social work student federation in Puerto Rico had made up several years ago in recognition of the inequality between women and men in society. The other two women were dressed in red as this was what some countries deemed the official march color. Excitedly, we searched for markers to decorate our faces in preparation to find the rest of the marchers in the main city plaza. As we were leaving the office, it began to rain cats and dogs. We paused, and deciding that water was not going to keep us from demanding to be treated as human beings; we left our cellphones behind and ventured into the deluge. Vitória, one of our little clan, had seen a group of women moving up the main street on their way to the plaza as she had been arriving. As we didn't yet see anyone in the plaza, we set out in search of them. While walking, we received several negative comments from passers by based on my shirt and the decorations we had on our faces. I will comment here, that I do not usually receive cat calls in Santa Maria. I can count on one hand the number of cat calls I've received since arriving, and we had more comments yesterday than I've had in all my time here. We walked all the way down the street, and upon finding no one, we returned to the plaza quite disappointed that all these women apparently had abandoned the march because of the rain. I was feeling quite disillusioned with my own sex. Upon returning to the church to check for any updates on our phones, we discovered that everyone had taken shelter on the steps of a bank in the plaza; so away we went.
The beginning of the gathering was not as organized as I had anticipated. Because of the rain and because many of our sisters had to work, not being able to take the day off in order to maintain their families, we were waiting for them to arrive. As the group grew, the youth group and I tentatively followed several women who appeared to be the organizers over to the sound truck hoping to find out what would happen next. We formed a small circle, a few pounding on make shift drums and everyone else began to sing, chant and dance. The rest of the crowd began to drift over and I saw women of all shapes and sizes: young, old, poor, wealthy, different sexualities, different skin tones, different clothing styles, hair styles. Seeing all these women united and together and not tearing each other apart based on sexist principles filled me from the belly up with strength. God's creation is beautiful! The songs started out quietly and I could only participate singing in as much as I could understand the lyrics, but I danced with all my heart!
The march ended in the Fireman's Plaza. This is where we had the most trouble because the cars behind and the crossing traffic were not happy that we were blocking their way. Yet, we maintained strong and held up our signs as we moved into the plaza. I rode the high all the way home and am still floating happily on the remaining waves today. In this new country, I felt united and strong with the women around the globe as I watched marches unfolding in Puerto Rico, Argentina, Urugauy and other countries. We were all simply demanding to be treated as human beings, no better, no worse. The beauty and strength I saw in the women walking along side me yesterday left me in awe and the pictures I saw from around the world did more of the same. I pray to God that this sense of awe and wonder never leaves me and that I can continue to see the strength and beauty in my sisters as I am again caught up in the daily routine. 
