Honie Briggs

This morning I was going through some stuff left in the dryer from, I don’t know, Saturday maybe, picking out something to wear, when a scene from the movie A Few Good Men came to mind. You know the one where Jack Nicholson says, “You can’t handle the truth!” Those words and the ones that followed resonated with me the first time I saw that movie. Now, two decades later, even after the professional flops and personal ridiculousness of the stars of that movie, I still have a great deal of admiration for the great skill with which they delivered the powerful message of that, now classic, film.

Facing the truth can sometimes be difficult. I had a boss once who asked me which was more important, truth or perception. Of course, I gave the wrong answer. Not because I didn’t know the correct answer, but because he was an asshole who wanted to teach me a lesson by pointing out a simple fact that my simple mind couldn’t comprehend, which was that perception is more important because perception is reality. (His words, not mine.) My response to his “lesson” set me on the fast track from receiving the highest possible performance rating to almost the lowest in less time than it takes to say corporate bankruptcy. Toxic work environments are no place for truth. At least not any truth I know. Truth is, I dedicated too much time to that job and learned (still learning) some important parenting lessons because of my choice.

Here in the middle of the road, so to speak, only a few weeks away from my 45th birthday, I find myself wondering, where have all the icons gone? No, not movie stars or titans of industry; of course I know where they are 24/7. I’m talking about the benefactors, the righters of wrong, the statesmen, stateswomen, statespersons….uh, I don’t like having to qualify with every possible people type, but the minute I don’t…..How about earthlings for all things good for all earthlings. 

So is this a mid-life/peri-something-or-other issue? You know, the kind that keeps us fragile females from being able to do “man’s work.” Not to worry, it’s a question I have asked since I was a child.

 “If women want any rights more than they’s got, why don’t they just take them, and not be talking about it?”– Sojourner Truth

 Additional Facts:

Sojourner Truth , a Women’s Rights Activist was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York.

Rob Reiner, the director of the film, A Few Good Men was also born in New York and is a Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Activist.

I have visited New York.