Moonlore - Publisher's Essay
The Joy of Being a Passionate Rebel
"If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world"
~ C.S. Lewis (British Scholar and Novelist. 1898-1963)
I leaned back against the sissy bar and concentrated on the hot chug-chug-chug of the chopped hog throbbing between my legs and the bad boy sitting on the Harley's seat in front of me. His hands played with the controls on the gleaming chrome handlebars rising high above the gas tank. All around us, leather-jacketed, duck-tailed guys and their gals stoked their scooters into life. We roared down the road, a band of vagabonds in love with life.
~ Margaret Lee Runbeck
"Repression will provoke rebellion."
~ Hugh Williamson
Those were my teen years, when I gleefully walked on the wild side. Although I no longer ride among a sea of colors bearing the logos of the Hell's Angels, Satan's Slaves, Uhlans and Missing Links, I'm still rebelling.
Moondance was born out of rebellion. Tired of the traditional women's magazine, not seeing any place where women's authentic voices reigned, we began modestly. We're still here, flourishing ten years later. This is your invitation to join us as we celebrate our rebellious selves.
Who are we? Who are you? We are the women of the world. We are the creators of beauty.We are the rebels who won't settle for mediocrity.
~ Henry Louis Mencken (American humorous Journalist and Critic of American life who influenced US fiction through the 1920s, 1880-1956)
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
~ Albert Camus (French Novelist, Essayist and Playwright, 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1913-1960)
Our ideas enrich the world, from the food on our tables and the crafts that decorate our homes to the scientific, spiritual and political advances women have contributed Nothing has ever existed or will ever exist except for the efforts of the creative mind. Our concepts of the divine begin with a deity who created order out of chaos, beauty out of darkness. As creators of fiction, we understand the importance of mythology. As creators of nonfiction, we are the givers of knowledge. As creators of artistic beauty, we define our world in uplifting ways. As creators in medical laboratories, our inventions bring health and well-being for all around us. As creative parents, the future of the earth rests in our arms.
There is an awesome responsibility in knowing our craft well and in what we impart to others. Every teacher in every classroom depends upon our skills. Every minister in every pulpit looks to us to provide inspiration. Every businessperson uses our ideas to benefit clients, employees, products and even family. Every parent refers to our wisdom.
Are we up to the task? Yes, absolutely. Not each task individually but all tasks collectively. Each of us have our areas of interest or specialization where we can contribute. Each of us can research, distill, condense and present valuable new thoughts. Together, we have created and continue creating a tremendous body of works that provide civilization the impetus to keep traveling on the road of progress.
~ Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)
"I wouldn't have turned out the way I was if I didn't have all those old-fashioned values to rebel against."
~ Madonna (American Actress and Singer, b.1958)
As rebels, too often we view ourselves as solo and perhaps lonely individuals struggling against the rest of the world. That sense of standing apart is enhanced when friends and family don't identify with or, even worse, oppose our career choices. This can leave us with the impression we are on a path with no markers, no trailblazers to follow, no companions on our journey. Daunting as this might be, we still persist in our need to create and our dedication to our profession.
But is loneliness our true state? Are there not many trailblazers who came before us and whose markers we can follow? Are there not many companions traveling through the same wilderness, perhaps just a few steps in front or behind? Should we not recognize this comradery among rebels and capitalize on its benefits?
We need to reclaim the sense of our own importance to society and our belief in our ability to compete. We need to regain our confidence as individuals and promote dignity as a group. We are the legitimate heirs of greatness. History gives a special nod to rebels, even when they are unsung heroes during their life time. Rebels of yesteryear are our trailblazers; we can follow without hesitation and with confidence.
Our dedication to the creative process, our vision of beauty, our ability to bring order out of chaos are what the world treasures most. Long after gold is spent and youth fades, our ideas will live on, informing the world of ages gone by and futures to come. We should be proud.
"When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you find that more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion."
~ Carrie P. Snow
My steed of today is a palomino who is waiting to carry me to the top of the hills. There we will pause to overlook our domain and take in nature's beauty that surrounds us. Then we'll wend our way to the valley floor and race through the knee-high grass. My arms will be flung wide, my head thrown back, my heart open to the universe as the wind whips my hair just as it did those many years ago when the surging power beneath me was mechanical rather than the exquisite elegance of a horse. I'm still a Wild Rider, a rebel, a warrior. And I welcome you, my sister, to our pages.
By Loretta Kemsley
Publisher/President
Women Artists and Writers International
Writer, Editor and Editorial Coach
Loretta Kemsley's Personal Portfolio: Women's Writings
http://lores.lair.moondance.org/