The Friendships Between Women

I’ve  traveled throughout the United States and to ten different countries. And, I’ve seen, met and interviewed many women.  They’ve talked to me about their struggles, accomplishments and hopes.
 
The women I met in Juarez, Mexico wanted homes and a better life for their children.

In Havana, Cuba, a young woman I interviewed wanted to become an engineer.

In Tanzania, Africa, the women there wanted better wages and more of their ‘own’ money. They too wanted an education for their kids.

The women from Kosovo wanted their ‘own’ voice back. They asked me how they could go about getting to the people-the reporters, the publishers, media execs. so they could tell “their” stories and have “their say.”

In Dallas, Texas, the elderly shop clerk I bought bags, watches and jewelry from wanted more hours. Her husband had recently passed away and she was unsure how she would make it. She thought ‘others’ thought her age was a  hinderance. In a shop filled with “younger women, she was being treated as if she was stupid.  All she wanted was to  earn a living.

Everywhere you look women are hungry for change.

No, everything is not perfect for us. But, I see women pushing harder and harder to make their ‘own” way and trying to create their “own” opportunities-unwilling to wait for someone to “give” them something. Change is on the horizon.  In Africa, we see the first female head of state, Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In this country, we are seeing a woman run for president. It is no telling what the year will bring.

If you’re not feeling it, now is the time for you as a woman to think of the possibilites. What will you do? Timing is everything. And now is the time for you to take the limits off and do that thing you were created to do.   Do the work that will push you to the next phase of your life. Don’t take “No” for an answer. Go around, above, or over your obstacles and never forget there is another woman who has suffered some of your same frustrations or been through what you are going through. So call on other women to give you their wisdom. You don’t have to create the wheel all over again.  Be huge, be large, be a woman!!!

Elaine 

I RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOST AN HOUR SHOW ON FEMALE BUSINESS OWNERS HERE AT CHANNEL 13.

THE SHOW IS FORUM 13 AND RUNS AT 6:00AM ON SUNDAYS-WAY TOO EARLY FOR SOME PEOPLE TO GET UP AND WATCH. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS GREAT FUN.

I SPOKE WITH WOMEN ASKING THEM WHY THEY DECIDED TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AND BECOME THEIR OWN BOSS.

SOME SPOKE ABOUT THE FREEDOM THEY GOT FROM RUNNING THEIR OWN SHOW-OTHERS SAY THEY DID IT OUT OF NECESSITY-STILL OTHERS SAID THEY DID IT BECAUSE THEY CAME TO A POINT THAT THEY REALIZED THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE JOB THEY HAD.

IT WAS ALL VERY REFRESHING-VERY MOTIVATING-AND FUN. ONE WOMAN MADE AND SOLD JEWELRY www.myfrosting.com- THE OTHER SOLD CLOTHES FOR PLUS SIZE WOMEN www.beautifullyand wonderfullymade.com AND THE OTHER WAS A PERSONAL CHEF-www.personalchef-llc.com. WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, CLOTHES, JEWELRY AND FOOD!!!!

AFTER THE SHOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT ANOTHER GROUP OF WOMEN FOR WHO ARE RUNNING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES AND AS A RESULT CHANGING THEIR LIVES.

THEY ARE WOMEN WHO’VE SEEN A LOT OF EVIL IN THIS WORLD. THEY ARE WOMEN FROM KOSOVO, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE WAR HAS DEVASTATED THEIR LAND AND TAKEN THEIR HUSBANDS AND CHILDREN.

BUT, THEIR LIVES ARE SOWLY BEING RESTORED BECAUSE THEY ARE BECOMING ENTREPRENUERS THANKS TO THE HELP OF A GROUP CALLED WOMEN FOR WOMEN www.womenforwomen.org.

THIS GROUP HAS CREATED MICRO LOANS TO GIVE TO WOMEN ACROSS THE WORLD, SO THEY CAN START BUSINESSES AND REGAIN THEIR LIVES.

THERE’S A SAYING, ‘IF A MAN DOES NOT WORK, HE SHOULD NOT EAT’. IN THESE DEVESTATED COUNTRIES IF WOMEN DON’T CREATE JOBS, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EAT.

I FIRST HEARD OF THE ORGANIZATION WHEN I WAS TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE TO HELP ME WITH MY STRUGGLE TO FIND A WOMAN WHOSE UNBELIEVABLE LIFE, CAPTURED MY ATTENTION MORE THEN TWO YEARS AGO.

SHE WORKED LIKE A FARM ANIMAL-CARRYING GRAIN, BEANS AND ITEMS ON HER BACK. SHE IS A HUMAN HAULER- TRYING TO KEEP HER FAMILY TOGETHER AND KEEP HER DAUGHTERS FROM BEING RAPEDBY SAVAGE REBELS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.

A WAR HAS BEEN RAGING THERE FOR YEARS AND IT IS CLEARLY ONE OF THE WORST PLACES FOR A WOMAN TO FIND HERSELF.

I WROTE A BOOK, www.elainehouston.com WHICH I AM SELLING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THIS WOMAN AND TRYING TO FIND A LIASION TO HELP ME GET THE FUNDS OVER TO THIS WOMAN’S VILLAGE.

OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS-FOR SOME IT’S THE AMERICAN DREAM-FOR OTHERS- IT’S A MUST.

ELAINE HOUSTON

ANY REPORTER WORTH HIS OR HER SALT WANTS THE GET THE BIG STORIES. BUT, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, I HAVE COVERED THE LITTLE STORIES-THE FEATURES. AND, I HAVE FOUND THESE LITTLE STORIES ON MANY OCCASIONS, AT LEAST TO ME, TO BE THE BIG STORY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR EFFECT ON OTHERS AND ON ME.

HEMEI IS FROM A TINY, REMOTE VILLAGE SOUTHWEST OF CHINA. AND FOR MANY YEARS THAT WAS HER WORLD-THAT WAS ALL THAT EXISTED. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE MOSUO PEOPLE. YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THEM BECAUSE WOMEN RULE THERE. IT’S A MATRIARCHAL SOCIETY. THE TRADITION IS THAT WOMEN SELECT THEIR OWN MAN AND THEY CAN CUT HIM LOOSE WHENEVER THEY FEEL LIKE IT.

BUT, HEMEI’S STORY IS NOT ABOUT FINDING A MAN-IT’S ABOUT FINDING A LIFE-A LIFE MUCH BIGGER AND GREATER THAN ANYTHING SHE WOULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. AND IT IS BECAUSE HER LIFE IS SO BIG AND IT IS BECAUSE SHE EATS UP LIFE THAT MY LIFE IS BIGGER.

BECAUSE I MET HER-I WANT TO DO MORE WITH THE LIFE, THE PRIVILIGES AND THE BLESSINGS I HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

LIFE UNFOLDED FOR HEMEI BECAUSE SHE HAD A ZEST FOR EDUCATION AND THE COURAGE TO SEIZE AND OPPORTUNITY- TO TAKE IT-REACH OUT AND GRAB IT!. THERE ARE NO CARS, NO SCHOOL BUSES, NO CAR POOLING,NO ROADS, AND NO ELECTRICITY IN HER HOUSE. BUT SHE DIDN’T ALLOW THAT TO STOP HER FROM GETTING AN EDUCATION. AS A CHILD SHE WALKED MILES TO GET TO SCHOOL.

AS I SAY THIS I’M REMEMBERING, WITH A SMILE, MY MOTHER AND THOSE OF HER GENERATION TALK ABOUT HOW THEY TOO WALKED MILES TO GET TO SCHOOLS AND GET AN EDUCATION.

IN FACT, I HEARD IT ALL THE TIME WHENEVER SHE WAS TRYING TO BRING HOME A POINT THAT WE-HER CHILDREN SHOULDN’T EXPECT AN EASY LIFE AND SHOULD WORK FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE GET. SHE TOLD US OF THE MILES SHE HAD

TO WALK TO GET WATER FROM THE WELL IN RURAL MISSISSIPPI. SHE TOLD US OF HOW SHE HAD TO PUT NEWSPAPER OR CARDBOARD IN HER SHOES, AND ON AND ON AND ON.

LIFE WAS HARD IN MISSISSIPPI FOR BLACKS DURING THE 30′S 40′S . AT THE TIME, WHILE I DIDN’T DO IT -I WAS ROLLING MY EYES IN MY MIND TO THOSE STORIES - DIDN’T

ANYTHING COME EASY FOR MY MOM? THE ANSWER WAS NO AND AS I GREW UP I APPRECIATED THOSE STORIES-WHEN I ENTERED THE REAL WORLD.

THOSE STORIES CAUSED ME TO PERSERVERE- TO NEVER GIVE UP. BUT SOMETIMES I GET LAZY AND I NEED A PUSH TO GET BACK IN THERE AND WORK HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER!

BACK TO HEMEI. SHE WALKED MILES TO SCHOOL IN THE DARK OF THE EARLY MORNING.. HER OLDER SISTER WOULD OFTEN WALK WITH HER TO PROTECT HER.

THEN, SHE GOT A CHANCE TO GO TO A GIFTED SCHOOL, 45 KILOMETERS AWAY. TO ATTEND SHE HAD TO L IVE THERE-AWAY FROM HER FAMILY. SHE DID IT- A TINY, LITTLE, COURAGEOUS KID.

SHE HAD A LOVE FOR EDUCATION. EVEN AT HER AGE, SHE COULD DISCERN THAT THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WOULDN’T COME AROUND AGAIN. BUT, THE BIGGEST SACRAFICE CAME WHEN SHE WAS TOLD OF AND APPLIED FOR A FORD FOUNDATION GRANT TO COME TO THE U-S TO STUDY. SHE GOT IT! BUT, AT WHAT COST. SHE HAD TO LEAVE HER THEN FIVE MONTH OLD BABY AND HER HUSBAND AND HER FAMILY. SHE DID. SHE HAD A LOVE FOR EDUCATION.

SHE COULDN’T SPEAK ENGLISH, HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN OUT OF HER LITTLE AREA, BUT SHE CAME TO THE U-S AND TO ALBANY TO ATTEND THE COLLEGE OF ST. ROSE.

SHE WAS SO GREEN THAT SHE TELLS THIS STORY OF HOW SHE ARRIVED IN THE U-S AT A MAJOR AIRPORT AND WAS TOLD TO GO AND CATCH THE TRAIN TO GET TO THE NEXT DESTINATION.

SHE WAS SHOCKED-SCARED TO DEATH AS SHE RETELLS THE STORY.

“WHAT TRAIN, I THOUGHT I WAS IN THE AIRPORT!” SHE DIDN’t KNOW ABOUT AIRPORT TRAINS THAT TAKE YOU TO DIFFERENCT CONCOURSES AND TO BAGGAGE. SHE LAUGHS

NOW, BUT IT WASN’T FUNNY THEN.

SHE SHOULD LAUGH AND CELEBRATE BECAUSE IN LESS THAN A MONTH, ALL THOSE LITTLE STRUGGLES AND ALL HER SACRIFICE WILL PAY OFF. SHE WILL GRADUATE WITH A MASTER’S DEGREE AND HEAD BACK TO HER HOME.

I FEEL PRIVILIGED TO HAVE MET HER. THIS COUNTRY HAS ITS PROBLEMS, YET PEOPLE KEEP COMING HERE TO GET WHAT WE SOMETIMES TAKE FOR GRANTED. THANK YOU HEMEI FOR REMINDING ME THAT ALL GREAT THINGS TAKE GREAT EFFORT. AND THANKS

MOM FOR YOUR STORIES TOO.

ELAINE HOUSTON

Welcome to For 18 years, I’ve been a television news reporter and for 14 of those years I’ve sat at the anchor desk and been blessed to come into the living rooms of viewers, giving them the news of the day.

Of the hundreds of people I’ve interviewed– from politicians and celebrities, to the average person-what we in the news business call the “man on the street”- I’ve always, always, always wanted to share more with the viewers-more than the 30 or 45 seconds I’d been given would allow me to do.

For the past three months, I’ve been able to do that at my “day job”, as anchor and reporter at www.wnyt.com. That’s the NBC station in Albany, NY where we now have a chance to blog stories we cover. Check out my previous blogs at www.elainehouston.com.

Now with “There’s more to the Story”- on my own website, www.elainehouston.com I’m hoping to do more of that.

Sometimes, I’ll just give a narrative of the broadcast news day-other times I’ll share memories of stories I’ve covered, and then sometimes I’ll just share my opinions. I hope you’ll find what I have to say interesting. Remember these are just “my” opinions.

Also, I hope to share with you information on issues affecting women and girls. Improving the lives of women and children is an area I have become passionate about.

I recently wrote a book titled, “The Friendships Between Women” about the power of women friends in our life. Those who have friends have a better life!

And, right now I’m working on a play for teens. So, I’ll keep you abreast of my progress. Anyway, it’s been good talking to you. I’ll see you on the television side or share more of my thoughts in this blog, because “There’s More to the Story”.

Elaine