For Christmas, my husband got me dissent collar stud earrings as a stocking stuffer. I was delighted, but a little chagrined. I didn’t think I knew enough about Ruth Bader Ginsberg to call me one of her fans, and make me legitimate enough to rock the earrings. But rock them I did, because they make me feel powerful, and they are also adorable – the perfect accessories. But, I wanted to fill a bit of my RBG knowledge gap, so I jumped in the queue for Notorious RBG at my library and months later, there it was!
I didn’t know much about the origins of Notorious, as I’m unfamiliar with Tumblr but it is great to see this giant (in reputation, not size) of my lifetime find a new and loyal audience. I found the book to be mostly charming, though it suffered a bit from lack of narrative thread. I did audio for this one and it was a little hard to follow, as it wasn’t a linear biography, but one organized by topic and interest. Even so, I got the gist of RBGs life and now count myself among her loyalists.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg is, by my definition, an American hero. Her work ethic is awe-inspiring, and that’s before you even get into all that she has dealt with in her life. We could leave plain ol’ discrimination off the table and talk about her mother’s cancer (and subsequent early death) and RBGs cancer, AND her husbands cancer, and that any one of those things would be enough to take anyone out of the game, and no one would judge. But not Ruth. Ruth values mission and momentum over self, and time and again has put the rights of the people, the drive for equality and a better world, above herself, and her dedication is dazzling and humbling.
I haven’t yet watched the documentary, but will. I find RBG to be a fascinating inspiration. And I will keep my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed that she can keep hanging in there, fighting the good fight, until the next presidential election. And heck, if she still wants to keep working, and is still dissenting with the best of them, I’m certainly in no position to disagree.