Looking through a box of old family photos with a friend the other night opened a flood gate of stories about my younger years.

This picture of my ’50 Chevy invoked lots of memories!  The car was 17 years old in 1967 when I bought it for $300 from the original owner in Saugerties, N.Y.  It had 1700 miles on it  - that averaged 100 miles a year.  The only thing wrong with it was there was a hole in the muffler so my father fixed it with an orange juice can (the metal kind) and wire from a hanger.

I drove out of Woodstock, NY in 1969 in this car and headed West to the wide open spaces of Colorado.  With 4 “new” retread tires for seven dollars apiece, we were good to go.

We weren’t in a rush and it’s a good thing because top speed, going downhill was around 60 miles an hour. Most of the time we cruised along at 50, watching cars whizz by.  Gas averaged about 25 cents a gallon and Motel 6 actually cost six bucks a night. OK, the rooms weren’t first class but with all this economy we were able to travel the 1600+ miles on the $100 we had in our pockets and arrive at a friends house with enough to go out for dinner that night.

People of all ages enjoy hearing about the “old days” either because it stirs up their own memories or because they learn a bit of history.  I had lots more adventures with the ’50 Chevy including getting Canadian plates on it and finally selling it when the engine died.  But the clock still worked!

Next time you open a box of old photos, have someone handy so you have an audience for all the stories that will jump out with the pictures.

In the address given by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, at the 114th Commencement of Stanford University on June 12, 2005, he introduced his speech by saying he wanted to tell three stories.

His intention was to share knowledge that he’s accumulated over the years with the new graduates but instead of the usual lecture or inspirational speech, he chose a delivery method that inspired his listeners.

The first was a story about dropping out of college so that he didn’t spend all of his working class families money and how he hung around the college taking classes anyway, eating at the Hari Krishna center on Sunday’s and sleeping on dorm floors. Because he was a drop out he didn’t have to take prescribed classes so he took a calligraphy class for the joy of it, not knowing how it would fit into his eclectic eduction. When constructing the Mackintosh this skill and interest was used to develop beautiful computer typography.

The second was a story about being fired when he was 30 years old from his own company, Apple, and how it freed him to have the most creative period of his life. He started 2 new companies including Pixar and got married and had a baby. He’s convinced he wouldn’t have done this if he hadn’t been fired.

The third story was about death.  He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and went home to die.  After some tests it was revealed that his type of cancer was curable and he had the surgery and is now well.  But remembering he could be dead at any time has helped him to follow his heart in every decision he has made.

In conclusion he told that  ”Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” came from the back page of the final Whole Earth Catalog.  His last story was how he adopted that phrase as his motto in the 70s and still lives by it.

I started to write “Vagina Stories” as the headline for this post but changed it because it sounded a little shocking and could be misunderstood.  That’s when I realized the power that Eve Ensler’s  award winning play’s title has had on normalizing the word vagina.  Not only can people actually say it in public but it screams from posters all over town.

In the original Broadway version of The Vagina Monologues, Ensler performed every story herself.  The V-Day University of Arizona Benefit Production will feature undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and alumni who have joined together to bring you three nights of hilarious and captivating performances.

These stories are particularly powerful and moving because they are told from a personal point of view. According to Wikipedia, “Every monologue somehow relates to the vagina, be it through sex, love, rape, menstruation, mutilation, masturbation, birth, orgasm, the variety of names for the vagina, or simply as a physical aspect of the body. A recurring theme throughout the piece is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.”

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of The Vagina Monologues.  Thousands participate each year in raising awareness and have contributed to over $70 million raised to stop violence against women and girls.

Performances are February 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Social Sciences 100.  Doors open at 7 p.m. so that attendees may peruse educational displays and booths by campus and community organizations.

Tickets are $10 in advance (available on the University mall) and $12 at the door. Additional donations are welcome. All proceeds will be donated to the campus OASIS Center For Sexual Assault & Relationship Violence and the V-Day Spotlight Cause: The Women & Girls of The Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been chosen a second year
as V-Day’s spotlight campaign.  The women in the DRC are at a large
risk for gender-based violence.  Though the war is officially over,
the chaos of unregulated military forces have lead to a devastating
situation for women and girls in the DRC.  V-Day is currently working
on opening the City of Joy, a facility for survivors of sexual
violence.

For more information about The Vagina Monologues, please contact azvagwarriors@yahoo.com