Women are to be Herded and Not Seen

Do you feel as if lions in far-flung forests belong to us? A magical transformation can take place when we belong to them. That's one reason the female rangers (like at Gir) are so important. Those women not only exit their comfort zone, they risk their lives for wilderness and its animal residents. I can't wait to see firsthand their esprit de corps.

I also wonder if their outfits are hot.

As I wonder what to wear in India, I wish I had a uniform that would give me authority and thus protect me. But would dressing mannishly endanger me where homosexuality is illegal?

I'm drawn to the "dupatta" shawl with which women traditionally drape themselves. Cover for my blondish hair, a veil could make me less conspicuous and serve as a "cloak of invisibility." Of course, in the USA, my youthful movements have fooled more than one frat boy when they saw me from the back; after their wolf-calls, I laughed to see their faces when they saw my face. Still, will looking feminine make me too much of an "Eve-teasing" target in India?


A veil will make me seem to belong in rural areas where, too often, women are to be herded and not seen.

This trip is sending me far away from my own herd. Where lies safety? While I venture where it's too hot and too dry, my comfort-seeking herd is taking a long walk off a short pier into the rising sea level of Climate Change. And you? What's your herd? Do I belong to you at all? Love is the real way for us to belong to one another. On the soul level, living beings are one another's Earthly belongings.

While protecting the vulnerable is a feminine urge, protecting lions is not a lady's first instinct. It may be her last. Do you care what happens to me? Do you see why I'm going public, stepping out of line, and putting myself in harm's way?

VC Bestor
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