A night with the green blob

At REI tonight I met Mary, Janna, and Rhi to see a talk called "Adventure Divas." We were pulled in because one of the topics was going to be traveling in India. I've never been a fan of the moniker "diva" because it brings to mind the high maintenance, self absorbed lives of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and J. Lo. Would adventure divas live up to such company? Turns out they don't, which is quite a relief. The woman who organized this group used to be an editor for the adventure woman-friendly publisher Seal Press. Tired of sitting behind a desk and not reaching out to as many women she knew were out there, she and some others put together a t.v. pilot documentary about the unsung women heroines in Cuba. Once that was picked up by PBS, they continued around the world finding other women who met their strong definition of "diva" by bucking traditional male roles and leading by their own example for the better of humankind.

One of the women they profiled tonight was Kiran Bedi, who is the highest ranking police officer in India. She managed to transform the way prisoners are treated as well as how officers are trained in their forces. Her secret? Bringing yoga, mediation, and a heavy dose of humanity to their lives. She is loved by all who work with her and who meet her. She's won several Indian and humanitarian awards. Her presence is magnetic. A diva? Not in my book. A remarkable woman and role model? Absolutely.

As for the big green blob that waited for me on my ride to REI, it turned out to be a friendly beast, oft misunderstood and lonely for companionship. We spit back at the drizzly rain and laughed at the gusts of wind straight out of the south that slowed us to a crawl up Eastlake. Most importantly I was warm and dry in my polypro, wool, and rain pants and jacket and goretex socks. The secret to wet winter enjoyment is staying warm and dry in your foul weather suit of choice. It rained and gusted the whole way, but being dry and cozy made passing all the drivers that much more enjoyable. While they listened to the traffic and weather reports full of dread, I pedaled smoothly past them and contemplated a hundred thoughts that were free in my mind.