Listen Up: The Work That Must Be Done

STOCK.ADOBE.COM

BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB

My mom was the master of the well-timed response to an ill-advised question. She could raise her left eyebrow in such a way over her very green eye and intone “I beg your pardon” in such a way that one knew better than to inquire further. She taught me the value of the tactical response, which I’ve used time and time again.

On my first trip to a sawmill as a regional purchasing manager, I received a tour from an amazing man, whom I dearly admire to this day. As we stood in the sawyer’s box, he guided me from the felling of the tree to the precision cutting of the lumber, detailing each step of the process.

“The log is cut, travels through the debarker, to the headrig, then, then…,” he trailed off. I noted the sawyer’s ears and neck turning red as the manager sputtered and told me we needed to go to the office. When we arrived, he nervously shared the next step in the process. “Cherie,” he said, “the log then goes to the “n-----”(pejorative word). He explained that equipment turned the log and then profusely apologized, obviously shook up. “Since equipment for the support in the mills is under my area of responsibility, I suggest we call that piece of equipment the log turner in the future,” I said. He agreed. We became great colleagues.

There has always been a misconception that women have the luxury to stop to ponder next steps. I—in that moment— and many women—of necessity—must entertain next steps as they shift, on a daily basis, to meet the competing needs of the many, today. It is often the minute interactions of the moment that have set the trajectory for next steps in my personal and professional life.

Still, the many articles, classes, and training sessions directed toward women that cover topics such as the “necessity or opportunity for personal reinvention” persist. I don’t see the same for men. Women of the sisterhood are multifaceted, visionary contributors to society.

My own decision to return to college and reignite a singing career while working a full-time day job and raising two sons was born of necessity. It was time to end a marriage and keep the household going—a pragmatic decision. There was no “waiting until,” or “digging the hole a little deeper,” or “reinventing.” Immediate action was required.

A trip to Swaziland some years ago and powerful interaction with women serving communities dealing with drought, the AIDS virus, feeding, educating children, maintaining orphanages, and somehow endowing the future solidified my belief that women are engaging, sharing, planning, and praying while doing the work that must be done.

I credit the ability to take meaningful action to the legacy of formidable women in my life who generously shared a powerful legacy through word and deed. They left no room for ambiguity. Their messages were not questions of “can” or “will,” but rather how are you going to address the need for substantive change that will be necessary in your life? They cautioned me to get ready for what may come, to make preparation. They insisted women must be ready and committed to act. I was charged not only to equip myself, but to know myself—to be ready for the unexpected.