Gloria Steinem -Citymeals on Wheels Women’s Power Lunch

Yesterday was the yearly Citymeals on Wheels Women’s Power Lunch and fortune handed me the honor of sitting next to Gloria Steinem, renowned feminist, founder of Ms. magazine, activist par excellence, on one side and Dr. Ruth, the 85=year-old sex expert and the subject of t he Broadway show Becoming Dr. Ruth,  on the other. What did luck have to do with the seating? Gael Greene, the co-founder of this marvelous organization conceived the great idea of having all the attendees pick their table from a bowl randomly and I happened to pick the same table near the stage where Gloria was to sit. She could not have been nicer or more inspiring even if she does not seem to be engaged with me in this photo. (The one of us two was not flattering.) She looks terrific at 79 years old!

She wore a stunning leather motorcycle-style studded fitted jacket and had the button above pinned to her purse.  Fresh from being given the Medal of Freedom by President Obama, she got up early the next morning to give a pep talk to immigration reformers and marched with them. They gave her the button that she then gave to me. That led to the subject of immigration ( a special interest of mine) and eventually to Dolores Huerta?

G.What do you mean you don’t know who that is, asked Gloria in disbelief.

Z. I’m Mexican.

G. So is she!

Z. She’s  Mexican-American and I am an American Mexican.

She thought about it and said that she understood what I meant and explained that Dolores Huerta is the famous labor leader/civil rights activist who along with Cesar Chavez founded the National Farmworkers Association , now United Farm Workers.  Her focus has now shifted to immigration and Gloria wants me to get involved.

Our conversatiion then turned to Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (1600s), the Mexican nun who  has become  a  feminist ideal and idol . She choose to imprison herself in  a convent to gain the freedom to learn and not because she was dedicating her life to God. I confessed that I am not sure if I believe in God.  She said: “Of course you don’t! It’s a silly notion.  God is in the flowers, in you and me. Do you really think there is a bearded MAN above watching out for us?” And that led to the subject at hand -old age, loneliness, skin hunger and  food hunger too, which are all the needs that Citymeals on Wheels  tries to take care of and why they were able to raise the  1.25 million dollars from 350 powerful women that will pay for 2 million meals to housebound elderly people.