A Real-Life Hero and She-ro: My Mom and Dad

My last post was about my friend and hero, Matt, who produced my "Heroes and She-roes" project (coming soon!)  I am very excited to share the fruit of our collaboration with the world. 

 

But we would not have had the chance to make this CD, and I would not have the chance to do ANY of the things I have the privilege of doing if it were not for my mother and father.  I can make music and bring it to kids and adults all over because of their emotional and financial support.  And I am the person I am because of the values they instilled in me about integrity, respect and the value of every individual.

 

There would be no Miss Lynn--in any sense--without them.  And I am so grateful.

 



 

A Real-Life Hero: Matt Odmark

The release of my new EP, "Heroes and She-roes" is right around the corner!  And it wouldn't be happening without the exquisite leadership of my friend Matthew Odmark at the helm as producer.  Even though I have known Matt for a long time, this was our first opportunity to work together.

Confession:  I do NOT love the recording studio.  But Matt made the experience into an absolute pleasure.  He showed tremendous kindness and respect for the fact that what I do is deeply personal for me.  I was sorry when the recording process was over!

And Matt is not only a hero at his job, but all over the world.  He is one of the founding members of Blood:Water Mission, aiding communities in Africa through addressing HIV/AIDS and clean water.

Read more about Blood:Water Mission 

Here is the quilt that forms the artwork for "Heroes and She-roes," created by she-ro AnnMarie McCallister!

Real Heroes and She-roes: Veterans Crisis Hotline

Today we in the United States commemorate those among our military who have given their lives in service for our country.  I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the contribution of an extraordinary group of people who serve those servers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded the prize for Best Short Form Documentary earlier this year to a film called, "Crisis Hotline:  Veterans Press 1."  In the opening of the film, the statistic is shared that every 80 minutes in the United States, one of our military veterans will take his or her own life.  The film chronicles the work of the men and women at the nation's only veterans' crisis call center in Canandaigua, New York.  They answer the phone for our veterans reaching out from severe mental strain.  I left the experience of watching the film in complete awe of them and what they do.

Even heroes and she-roes need heroes and she-roes.  These women and men are just that.

Read more about "Crisis Hotline:  Veterans Press 1" on HBO.com

A Real-Life Hero: Sam Tsemberis

It has been my experience that one can never fully anticipate the impact of a new undertaking at its outset, and working on this Heroes and She-roes blog series has certainly borne that notion out.  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to reflect upon people making great and small differences in the world, and have encountered so many stories that I would not have otherwise!

None of these newly discovered heroes has moved me more than Sam Tsemberis.  Dr. Tsemberis is a psychologist by training, and happened unexpectedly into a role working with homeless individuals.  His research, and the models developed from it, have been the basis of the most successful programs for ending chronic homelessness in the United States.

Meet the Outsider Who Accidentally Solved Chronic Homelessness (Washington Post - Inspired Life)

Reading this piece about him and his work from the Washington Post, I cannot help but wonder how many other difficulties we as a society could help ameliorate if we would only take the approach of treating people with respect and dignity, irrespective of their behaviors or circumstances.

A Real-Life She-ro: AnnMarie McCallister

When your job entails "transferring things from the inside to the outside," (as I quoted Jonathan Safran Foer in this previous blog post), the work you do is so personal that it can be difficult to find other artists with whom to have a fruitful collaboration.  I am so thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with designer and artist AnnMarie McCallister, also known as Glad Annie (Studios).  She built quilts and did graphic design for my last two CDs, as well as designing my promotional materials.  Before they have ever heard a note of the songs contained on them, people frequently comment how beautiful the packaging is!

 

 AnnMarie is making the world more beautiful through her art, but she also is committed to making life better in her local community.  She serves on the board of the Worthington Resource Pantry in her hometown of Worthington, OH, the mission of which is (in part):  "We are committed to building a health Worthington."  What could be more she-roic than that?

I am delighted that I have once more been able to collaborate with AnnMarie on the artwork and design for my upcoming CD, "Heroes and She-roes"!  Keep checking back for the reveal of her latest masterpiece!  :)

A Real-Life Hero: Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert and I have a lot in common.  TONS.  We are both humans, both hilarious, both humble (at least I presume he also is), and we both love our South Carolina peeps!  Although to be fair, he probably has more of them than I, since he is actually from the Palmetto State.  And recently announced that he has arranged for $800,00 in grants to South Carolina public school teachers!  Here is an article about the grants from Greenville, SC:

Stephen Colbert:  SC Teachers' $800,00 Man

To quote the man himself:  "Enjoy your learning, South Carolina!"

Real-Life She-roes: Leslie, Kristen, and Tammy

My home city of Nashville is very racially and ethnically diverse, facts which can make it difficult to hear and know one another as neighbors.  In the midst of recent events across our nation that highlight the deep racial divides that still exist, we must ask:  how do we move forward, together?  How do we do a better job of hearing, seeing, and knowing one another across the lines that separate us, so that together we might build a more just society?

Three strong women in our community have taken leadership in trying to answer some of these difficult questions.  Recognizing that no one person or group has all the answers, they have begun by hosting a series of conversations for the woman of Nashville.  Their hope is to create safe, truthful spaces in which to build relationships within our community.

I so admire these ladies and their passion towards change.  They are she-roes!  Here is a photo of them from the Facebook group they started, Nashville Continues the Conversation on Race. 

Nashville Continues the Conversation on Race

on Sunday, April 26, 2015

A Real-Life She-ro: Amy Schumer

If you want people to listen, make them laugh.  Especially if you are telling something they don't particularly want to hear.

I can think of few ladies who better embody this concept than comedian Amy Schumer.  Her Comedy Central program, "Inside Amy Schumer," is largely targeted at skewering sexist stereotypes and the ways in which our culture marginalizes women.  And it is hilarious.  (Note:  it is absolutely not appropriate for children.)

Ms. Schumer is currently receiving much-deserved praise for a recent episode parodying the classic film, "12 Angry Men."  Here is NPR's brilliant Linda Holmes (she's a she-ro, too!) breaking down some of what is so fantastic about it:

NPR "Monkey See" Blog:  "Amy Schumer Puts Her Own Looks on Trial"

The truth of how messed up some things in our world are can be pretty tough to take.  I am so thankful for gifted ladies like Amy Schumer who help it go down a little easier!

Watch clips from "Inside Amy Schumer"  on ComedyCentral.com

(Have a real-life hero or she-ro to nominate for this blog? Let me know at misslynn [at] misslynn [dot] com!)

A Real-Life Hero: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Hooray for science!  And hooray for NdT, who has been an outspoken and innovative advocate for science education.  His leadership in this area and the myriad ways he has encouraged kids and adults to develop curiosity about our world and universe would be more than enough to make him a hero, but he is heroic in even more ways.

Read this story on Upworthy about a girl's question to him about dyslexic scientists

Thanks, Dr. deGrasse Tyson, for helping so many people to see the astonishing beauty and diversity in our universe, including we human beings who are part of it!

Read more about Neil deGrasse Tyson on Wikipedia


(Have a real-life hero or she-ro to nominate for this blog? Let me know at misslynn [at] misslynn [dot] com!)

A Real-Life She-ro: Juliette Gordon Low

Who doesn't love some Samoas and Thin Mints?  (Well, probably not people with gluten intolerance or other dietary restrictions--but if you're able to eat them, you probably love them!)  These tasty treats may be among the first things that come to many minds at the mention of Girl Scouting, but Girl Scouts and Girl Guides are much more than cookie-sellers! 

The Girl Scout Mission:
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

In other words:  the Girl Scouts are helping girls grow into she-roes!  And there would be no Girl Scouts (or cookies) without the original Girl Scout She-ro, movement founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low.

Read more about Juliette Gordon Low on the Girl Scouts' website!

 

 

(Have a real-life hero or she-ro to nominate for this blog? Let me know at misslynn [at] misslynn [dot] com!)



A Real-Life Hero: Robert Lindberg

Sometimes people face big difficulties, which require big heroics.  But lots of our lives are full of small, daily struggles--and the people who help in these situation are real heroes and she-roes to those whose lives they make easier.

I have dear friends in Sharon, Massachusetts, and through them I became aware of Robert Lindberg, a true hero in lots of small ways to residents in that area. 

Learn more about the remarkable Mr. Lindberg here!

I am inspired by Mr. Lindberg's loyalty and tenacity--he is a hero!



(Have a real-life hero or she-ro to nominate for this blog? Let me know at misslynn [at] misslynn [dot] com!)

Real-Life She-roes: Catherine and Tiffany

I'm getting ready to head back on the road this summer with a new concert, "We Need a Hero!" (check out the calendar at MissLynn.com for dates!)  The whole reason I have been writing this blog series is to lead up to these concerts, and the release of the accompanying CD, "Heroes and She-roes!"  I am very excited to be able to share with kids and families these stories of characters who have a problem, and characters who come to the rescue!

But bringing concerts to places far and near means spending a lot of time away from home, which is complicated and difficult.  I couldn't do it without help from lots of my friends and family, all of whom are heroes and she-roes to me.

Two friends to whom I am enormously grateful are Tiffany and Catherine, who tirelessly tag-team the responsibility of caring for my two sixteen-year old cats during the (sometime very long!) stretches while I am out of town.  It is such a comfort to know that my pets are well cared for while I travel.  Without Catherine and Tiff, I could not do what I do.

Thank you, friends!  You are my she-roes!

(not Tiffany or Catherine, but my cat, Sapphire, in her favorite spot by the sink)

 



(Have a real-life hero or she-ro to nominate for this blog? Let me know at misslynn [at] misslynn [dot] com!)

A Real-Life Hero: Joss Whedon

I admit it:  I am really excited about the new Avengers movie.  I have been a late adopter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; most of the "superhero" movies I had seen in the past left me largely underwhelmed, and I had more or less written off the genre.  But I kept hearing that this series of films were worth the investment, and so I finally consented--much to my great delight.

But even before Marvel Studios set out to reimagine their heroes and she-roes on film, I was a great admirer of writer/director/maker-of-cool-stuff Joss Whedon.  He has a knack for telling stories with a broad appeal without pandering to the audience.

AND FURTHERMORE, he is able to work within an admittedly broken system (i.e. Hollywood) to try and remedy some of the sexism and racism within it.  His movies routinely feature women in strong roles and characters of various races.

I could not decide which of these JW "strong women" memes to include here, so here are both!

Joss Whedon on Wikipedia



(Have a real-life hero or she-ro to nominate for this blog? Let me know at misslynn [at] misslynn [dot] com!)