M: Mutinous Memories

​Generally speaking, I’m a pretty easy-going person. Cheerful. Helpful. Loyal. I realize these are not “M” words but I’m getting to that. There have been a few incidents in my life that have rocked my easy-going nature to its core. The mere reflection on these incidents has a tendency to take me right back into the thick of it. I call these “mutinous memories.” These are times when I’ve refused to go along with the tyrannical powers that be. As it turns out, I still stand by words and actions even years later.
 
So, let’s talk about mutiny, shall we? Have you ever had a boss that was so horrible, so terribly condescending and evil, that you wanted to start an all out rebellion at work? Have you ever been part of a service organization run by a dictator? I have! I remember sitting through board meetings, hearing the people around me complaining about all the injustices we were witnessing, only to silently leave the room and let the tyranny continue. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to sit by silently around bullies. (alas, speaking up has gotten me in trouble more than once).
 
Example: In high school, the girls in my choir were singing a song at our Christmas concert. A few days before the concert, the teacher finally figured out what was bothering her about the piece. Apparently, one girl in our group just wasn’t measuring up on this one song. So the teacher asked her to step away from the rest of the group during that one song. Basically, all the rest of the girls would sing the song while this one girl would stand alone on the sidelines – not singing. What do you think? Sound fair to you? The night of the concert, I decided to stand out too. No reason for me to be part of the group if she couldn’t be, right? Not my most popular decision, but I think it was the right one.
 
More recent example: I was part of a community service organization where some of the higher-ups had been known to speak ill of several of our members, calling them “strident feminists” because they were outspoken in their violence prevention efforts. One day, the director had a great idea. She suggested that we move our monthly meetings to a restaurant so that we could all enjoy lunch as we met. The catch: the restaurant chosen was a buffet where you had to pay to get in. Coincidentally, this would preclude many of our more outspoken members from being able to attend. When I was elected President of this group, I thought I would be able to make changes to the tyrannical regime, but it became obvious that I wasn’t strong enough to make those changes. Finally, I resigned. But I used my resignation as a platform to address the things that needed to be changed. It’s a lonely job putting yourself out there and watching your “supporters” sit silently by. I’m forever grateful for the people who stood by me. This was one of the hardest, most upsetting things I’ve ever done, but I still think it was the right thing to do.
 
The bottom line: when I’m feeling mutinous, I have a hard time keeping it to myself. Ever feel that way? 

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