I Want to be a Diva When I Grow Up

There was an auspicious event in my home this morning. Something that I have been working towards for over a year has finally come to pass. A thing that will open the gates of communication and information into my realm of existence. As of 10:00 this morning I have cable and internet in my house! Whoo-hoo!

It's true. Until today all my internet time has been through my computer at work. And TV has been a slightly fuzzy picture that comes in best on the Spanish and Korean channels for some reason. Now I can enjoy crystal clear pictures on all the basic cable channels and update my blog whenever I want to. Even on the weekends! Oh, the possibilities.

What am I most excited about finally getting to watch? Law & Order? Cagney and Lacey re-runs? Old episodes of The Muppett Show? Nope - I wanna see Adventure Divas on PBS.

What is an Adventure Diva? Well, as far as I can tell, it is this incredible organization of women who travel all over the world, looking for other amazing women (or "divas") and documenting their travails and accomplishments. I stumbled into their website a while back and I was so inspired by them. I wish I could just throw a toothbrush and a towel into a knap-sack and take off to help dig wells in India or help The Kids in Mongolia. Seriously. It's that cool.

They have helpful information on their web site such as whether or not to pack your sex toys when traveling and a list of "things we learned the hard way" about traveling in South America. They do interviews with women all over the place and write travel dispatches about their own experiences in far off lands.

Holly Morris, a co-founder of Adventure Divas had this to say in a speech about the mission of the group:

"Adventure Divas is a program of travel and biography and is driven by the energy of what we're calling diva-dom. At the heart of each program lies a diva, and as we've worked our way towards a definition of diva, a few essential traits keep showing up. Divas are all over the world; they're women who've not simply waited for their ships to come in, but rowed out to meet them. Be they musicians or mountain climbers, activists or poets, the common denominator in their lives, besides a healthy sense of humor, is a compass set on passion. Divas realize their full potential, and in doing so inspire not only admiration, but action. Divas show us that to indulge your passions fully is to know yourself completely. Only then can you treat the rest of the world - its people, its ecosystems - with wit and compassion."

How effin' cool is that?!

One of the things about feminism that drives be beserk, is the media driven stereoro-type that a feminist is an unattractive, man-hating, angry woman with no sense of humor. These ladies are out there, helping women all over the world, using all kinds of media to get their message heard. They are doing it with a sense of adventure and, dare I say it, a sense of fun.

Yeah, I wanna be a diva when I grow up.

So, I'm going to go home and check out my shiny new cable TV schedule and find out when I can watch this show. 'Cause we all could use a little inspiration now and then.