Lola

Hmm... I'm on the fence here... while I appreciate her openness and poetry of her thoughts, I'm kind of irritated by the attitude every now and then.On the other hand, I don't know how much of it is Baba Lybeck's interpretation of Lola and what she told her. Also, I don't know how I would come across. Or how I do come across. Maybe people are irritated by my attitude. Then, as Baba says, I am a privileged white ciswoman, born and raised in Finland, living in Sweden, with my husband and my cats, and even though I was bullied at school, it was never to this level. I really cannot whine about Lola's attitude. The mere idea is audacious and ridiculous. Anyway, I think she is very courageous and does a great job for the Somali population of Finland and the rest of the world, by making the situation visible. I didn't know about the abuse of boys in Somalia, but also, this book gave me a better understanding of Somalia and Somalian people, made my idea of Somalia more dimensional and ... shaded? toned? More colorful? Not so stereotypical, prejudiced, and black-and-white.Especially the story of the little shepherdess. I am so “brainwashed” by modern Western Feminism, that it shakes me to realize there are people out there who are totally fine being a mother at 13, who don't see it as child abuse... and it is so hard to not push my values and morals and ethics on others... so hard to not compare my dreams and goals to others and find theirs lacking or less worthy. I am reminded of the man who stepped out of the hamster wheel of getting a good education, getting a good job, working hard to get a high standard of living, and instead of doing just what was needed to get what he wanted - he left his high-paying job and got himself a small farm, big enough to feed the family, with a house big enough to house the family, and having just enough job so that he could spend his life doing what he wanted to do, that is, to be with his family. I don't mean to say there's anything wrong with feminism, but that it is something that has been good to ME, something I needed, something that has given me the tools and possibilities to get what I want, to go where I want to be, but maybe that is not what other women want and need. I am thinking of Minna Salami's [b:Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone 48812598 Sensuous Knowledge A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone Minna Salami https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582081208l/48812598.SX50.jpg 65707688] and how that already was pushing the limitations of white western feminism, but did it very softly... I am thinking about the American woman who went to Africa to teach feminism to African women and who got very quickly humbled by African women already having feminism. I am thinking about all the knowledge we are missing by believing to be the first ones to come up with things :-D, and others being lesser and needing to be educated, and thus not listening to them, or seeing them, and thus missing so much. We really need to shut up and open our ears and hearts and seriously listen to people.Just to add to the discussion - let transwomen be women. Just remember that once upon a time a “human” was synonymous to a white man... It is not any more offensive or insulting to be called a ciswoman than it is to be called a white woman. Or a woman.