editor
Bobbie Smith

contributing writers
Bobbie Smith

photography
Joseph Smith
Bobbie Smith

art
Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn
Bobbie Smith

October is Women's History Month -- so let's play!

One of the beauties of being a nine-year-old girl is you get to dress up for fun. Somehow that dressing up turns into a lifelong obsession for many of us as we search clothes that make us look thinner, more elegant or less chunky.

Wanting to be stylish is one thing; clambouring for approval is another.

A childhood game turns into an adult psychosis. This drawing to your right was inspired by one of the strongest mechanisms for feeding our psychosis about how look as women: a fashion magazine.

Women are so often seen as the surface queens of society, the ones who are judged on their looks and bodies, not their brains or brawn and yet when it comes to resisting, we don't always do it.

We undersell ourselves and oversell our physical traits.

Our history is underrated and unknown, especially in Canada. There needs to be more excitement, more passion and more singing about who we are and our intelligence.

Maybe our minds linger to that time when we were nine and wanted to play. That's my recommendation.

Let's play. As Nelly Furtado's song says, "Do what you want; say what you want." I dare ya.

~bsmith

If you have comments for the editor, please email: bobbiesmith@canada.com. In the subject line, put: Letter to the Editor. Be sure to include your full name, your city plus area code and phone number.