Fun things to do during the pandemic: Heidi Yorkshire, Marcy Newton, Kaye Gardner-O’Kearny, Tammy Wilhoite and I have been brainstorming for several months now on how to humanize a group whose mushrooming membership roster means more money to give away, but also jeopardizes the intimacy implicit in the term “girlfriends.” We are a whole bunch of smart, interesting women doing cool things. But with more than 500 members, how do we get to know one another? If we ever are able to have a gathering that is not virtual, who do we figure out whom to sit with?
We scratched our heads, discussed the meaning of life, quoted from Faulkner and Proust, traded recipes and finally figured it out. The result is a recurring blog that will appear on the ninety-nine girlfriends website.
Our marching mantra is “stories with heart.” We will write about members, comparable groups elsewhere and grant recipients. We will consider issues of concern to all of us, with a focus on who among us is working to resolve those issues. We will write about members at home, on the road, in the workplace. We will explore activities we are pursuing or actions we are taking to remain (relatively) sane during this terrifying global health crisis. I confess: I have even written one item about an especially alluring ninety-nine girlfriends pet.
We welcome suggestions and submissions, with the caveat that we are the self-proclaimed editing empresses. We promise not to cry too publicly if we receive gentle criticism.
This is an evolving, ongoing experiment. We are unlikely to crusade for a Pulitzer Prize, but we do hope our effort will help us all to feel more connected with ninety-nine girlfriends.
– Elizabeth Mehren