Women’s Round Table

EDITED 03/07/08 at 2:47PM (pst):  Openings for the Women’s Round Table are currently closed.  I will email everyone that requested to join us shortly to catch you up with all our other ladies.  The blog will be launching today, here:  Ladies of the Round Table.  Please join us in the future for some amazing conversations.

A long, long time ago back when I was in college, I had an amazing professor.  I’ve talked about him before.  It was a sociology class and so when we talked about women’s issues he told us stories about how his wife, once a month, used to shoo him out of the house.  He would leave and a group of women would come over.  They spent the time talking about various issues and concerns they had and lived as women.  He told us about how much it helped for them all to be able to be open with each other and have this environment of respect.  It was important that it was just women, and they were able to focus on that.

Ever since then I’ve been in love with this idea of having a women’s discussion group.  I never quite figured it all out – how and when and who – and I’ve always been disappointed at never having started one. 

Every once in a while I think about it and get a little steam in my engine again in trying to persue this.  Recently I’ve been most inspired by Laurie from Pho for Four’s post: Minor Identity Crisis and by sheljena from Two Different Loves’ post:  Not a Size 4 Anymore.  They are so forthcoming and both are very valid and honest accounts of concerns that women live with.  There have been other posts from other bloggers in the past that have made me think back to my goal of a women’s discussion group. 

*So – stop me, please, if this is a horrible idea.* 

I wonder if I can accomplish this in blogland.  This is my idea.  A group of us would “get together” once a month.  “Get together” would consist of one of us writing on a topic (either previously agreed upon or on your own) and all of us participating in respectful discussion.  It would either be hosted on each of our blogs or on a whole new one with each of us as contributors.  I think I would need a minimum of 5 women, maybe even a maximum of 15.  The topics would cover anything to do with living as a woman, mother, daughter, wife, professional, person and our concerns or issues, and meant to be a discussion for the group of us, with other comments welcome too.  I know that there is a great resource, BlogHer, and other ”mom” type resources, but I’m thinking of something more intimate.  It would be a small commitment, writing one post every few months, and commenting on the current post.

What do you think?  I need suggestions, ideas, honesty (good or bad), and if you would be interested in joining me.  Comment here or email me (if you don’t have my email address just leave a comment here asking me to email you and I will email back).  I’m both excited and extremely hesitant all at the same time.