As we get older, we get wiser – mostly. We learn from the mistakes we’ve previously made, we become better people and we move on (mostly). As a woman in her mid to late 40s my level of tolerance of bull poopie has decreased I was going to say annually, but at the moment it seems daily.

With peri menopause my secret spidey senses have gone into overdrive, and there are some things I can see with more clarity, even though the prescription in my glasses has gotten higher and astigmatism sets in. In chatting with other women of a certain age, it seems to be a sound topic , once we start the discussion that come 40 something, we develop certain superpowers.

Other than the superpower to repel bull and malarkey with rapid fire intensity, we also develop other powers. One of mine I have discovered is invisibility.

I have always enjoyed people observing. It’s been always pleasurable for me to sit and people watch, enjoying the passing parade. People are fascinating to me. And I’ve always been happy to watch silently and invisibly. Yet, my disappearance into what we consider life, has been a threatening and daunting prospect. BUT, instead of thinking of this power as invisibility as a bad thing, I’ve decided to embrace it and use it as a power of stealth instead. Combine that with years of people observing and I think it’s perfect. For me.

Another power that has revealed itself , only really in the last week, is my ability to digest horrible words, reassess them, pop them into perspective in my head space and not put up with bullllllshiiitttt anymore.

Through all this however, there is still uncertainty. Why is it that as this distinguished older woman, I fear daily for my teenage children who walk from home to schools and bus stops? Why is it that as a woman, I need to teach my teenage daughter to look over her shoulder for fear she may be taken by some sick bastard without a conscience?

Recent events in our own backyard, and in a city in another state have made it abundant,y clear that we have a seriously flawed and failing system. And as an avid people watcher and observer, it is abundantly clear that this system fails us continually and let’s the dangerous walk among us. While we, look over our shoulders and teach our children to look over their shoulders. And this is wrong. So very very wrong.

We are the voices of a generation of change. We are the ones who have paved the way for our daughters and our daughters daughters to be able to walk proudly as functional independent women with voices. Why is it that it seems that so many want to tear this down and take it away?

What does it mean, that women can make movies and be empowered and set themselves up to be role models only to be pulled back down and stripped bare by mainstream media and people who sit behind keyboards (ironic hey) and troll and attempt to muddy reputations and deliberately set out to hurt people who are genuinely trying to make a difference?

One thing to me has been abundantly clear this week, and that is that it is my job to protect and build and shape and guide my children into the best people they can be. To have them, flaws and all shine like the stars they are meant to be. And to absolutely have no one take this from them.

My heart goes out to the local child who was taken this week, innocently walking to school. She has been touched by evil. Yet a big HUZZAH to her parents, who are obviously striving to teach this young lady strength and independence as even after her ordeal she managed to make her way to safety and has astonishingly managed to keep herself together enough to give an accurate description of her attacker.

She will be marked forever by this horrendous crime, but I firmly believe that this young lady will be a future leader, and her words and life will be meaningful and long. I hope for her she holds this strength she has found this week in the face of such terrible adversity and it follows her through her whole life. And that she finds her superpower to deflect anything that ever tries to pull her down again. She is a brave brave little lady.

If there is one thing as a mother and a woman this week, I can take from these horrendous events and crimes upon women and children, it’s to SPEAK OUT, with clarity and consideration and conscience and be heard. Some may not like what you have to say. Some will do their best to pull you down and stomp on you. But it is your job as a woman who is part of the generation of firsts (yes we are the generation that went out to work, we are the generation that made our voices be heard loudly). It’s our job not to lose this right former generations fought for. It’s our job to be seen and heard with clarity and sanity.

It’s our job to teach our children to be strong and resilient, but caring and nurturing. It’s our job to teach them to be wary but to not be afraid.