Reasons to be cheerful

Bee Cheerful


Reasons to be cheerful? Really? REALLY? Reasons to be cheerful, when the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are polishing their saddles and the price of cat food is higher than a bottle of wine?

Honestly, can anyone find much to be cheerful about in these dismal, dark and chaotic days?

The newspapers are mean-spirited and joyless, the departure lounges of airports and the platforms of railway stations are crowded with lost souls, and you’d be hard-pushed to find any playful smiles on the petrol station forecourts.

But it’s June, the sun is shining, the fledglings have left their nests, the peonies are exploding into colour and there is a treasure trove of material for comedians and satirists. Things might seem relentlessly awful, and we can’t obliterate that, but let’s change our gaze and find some little nuggets of cheer that women can bring us. 

SO MANY POSSIBILITIES….

What follows is a random selection of reasons to be cheerful, suggested by feminist friends, colleagues and MK Fawcett group members. There are moments of optimism, personal recommendations and some nods to inspirational, funny, or just simply nice people. They range from art to science, from nature to music, from the sublime to the ridiculous. And if you don’t like any of them, that’s fine, just make your own list – it’s guaranteed to make you feel better.

And at the end of the blog, in case you are looking for something new to read to take your mind off things, there are a few recommendations for summer reading.

HERE WE GO

WOMEN WHO ARE……

Persistent and powerful

We should begin with a round of applause for the women who are prepared to get out of bed in the morning and put their whole energy into campaigning - about poverty, racism, misogyny, violence, the refugee crisis, the climate emergency and hundreds of single issues.  Their stamina, persistence and sheer bloody mindedness are remarkable. Many of their names are well known, but it is probably true that in every community and neighbourhood there is a woman activist grappling with some kind of injustice. 

The recent Australian election offered us some glimmers of hope. In a historic shift of voters, a number of women gained seats.  Independent, and working from a strong climate platform, they have been labelled ‘The Teals’ because of the campaigning colour they have adopted

It’s also worth noting the increasing number of women across the world who are currently presidents and prime ministers. Mia Amor Mottley in Barbados, Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan and Sara Kuugongelwa in Namibia may not be as well known as Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, or the many women leaders in Northern Europe and the Baltic States, but there’s a trend that offers a smidgen of optimism and a few tremors of excitement.

Imaginative and inspirational

In the arts, whatever the genre, there is always something to engage us. Artists like Bridget Riley, still working ferociously at 91, and the much mourned Paula Rego, have produced important legacies.  Lubaina Himid, in her recent Tate exhibition,  invited visitors to ‘bring their stories to the art’ and not be distracted by labels and explanations. The MK Gallery was home to a powerful exhibition by Turner Prize nominee Ingrid Pollard. And if you are in need of local art and craft, try Bucks Art Week (till June 26) or Children’s Art Week (till July 19) or one of the many craft fairs and festivals that pop up during the summer.

In music, remarkable women conductors, performers, composers and songwriters are impossible to ignore. Try an explosive musical treat by searching out a video clip of Mirza Grazinyte-Tila, the Lithuanian conductor, in action.

Dancers, musicians, actors and storytellers can turn up in the most unexpected places. A colleague, interested in the history of canals, came across Alarum, a small company seeking out women’s contribution to the development of Britain’s waterways.  She writes ‘Thank goodness for women like Kate & Heather of Alarum who are celebrating the herstory of the waterways. And thank goodness for small, community drama groups wherever they are, still surviving and still entertaining’.

This could go on for pages – but you get the idea. Anything from a beautifully knitted pair of gloves to a reminder of a long forgotten tune, can help us feel a little bit better about things.

Witty wise and warm

There are women who cheer us up simply because we like them. Or because we admire them. Here are some names that leapt out of peoples’ mouths. Not all these women are still alive, and you may want to look up some of the names, but each of them has ignited a little spark inside someone’s head. Add your own contributions.

Sheila Hancock. Devi Shridhar. Judi Love. Amy Tan. Cush Jumbo. Ashley Mullenger. Constance Fenimore Woolson. Simone Biles. Kate Bush. The ‘Carolines’ (Nokes, Lucas, Criado-Perez). Una Stubbs. Mo Mowlam. Jessye Norman. Sue Townsend. Stacey Abrams. Liliane Rovere.

SOMETHING TO READ? 

A few recommendations

  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. 2019, Pan MacMillan. Dark questions about the life and afterlife of one woman who changed medical history.
  • Tales of the Duelling NeuroSurgeons, by Sam Kean. 2013, Transworld. An exploration of the brain’s secret passageways.
  • Everybody Matters: A Memoir, by Mary Robinson. 2013, Hodder and Stoughton.Vision, strength and determination in pursuit of a fairer world.
  • Foster, by Claire Keegan. 2010, Faber and Faber. Beautiful, sad and eerie story on which the film ‘The Quiet Girl’ is based.
  • Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the Wisdom and Intelligence of the Tree, by Suzanne Simard. 2022. Penguin. The mysteries and complexities of trees; how they are all connected through their root systems and interactions with fungal networks.
  • Ramlin Rose: The Boatwoman’s Story, by Sheila Stewart. 1993, OUP. Respect and awe for the ‘Roses’ who contributed to canal transportation for over a century.
  • The Women of Troy, by Pat Barker. 2022, Penguin.The aftermath of the Trojan War as women are caught up in the disputes of violent men.

And finally, if all else fails?

  • Eat porridge with golden syrup.
  • Walk round a tree cathedral.
  • See a film on a weekday afternoon in an empty cinema.







Location: Milton Keynes, UK

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