A return

OK then. So I'm back on my blog, after a gap of nearly a year since my initial post. The reason for my silence: not feeling remotely qualified to comment on anything of any interest! I could write about my family, but Who Cares (other than other parts of my family!). I could write about my job, but a) there might be issues of client confidentiality, and b) my job is controversial by the mere fact of the industry (pharmaceutical) I work in, and I don't feel confident about arguing about some of the issues which would arise. I go to work, I get paid, I'm comfortable with the morality of what I do. That's enough for me.
But my return has more to do with not knowing ; with my ignorance.
A theme of my twitter feed in 2012, and more particularly over the christmas period, has been feminism. Not particularly by design I have found links to a selection of feminist bloggers coming my way, from Caitlin Moran talking about an urgent need for equality (please, read beyond the first paragraph!), to a number of posts about the desperate situation of women subjected to routine sexual violence in India. I consider myself to be a feminist; I enjoy the benefits of living and working in a relatively equal society where I can choose to pursue my career after having my children, I have the freedom to dress as I choose and go wherever I wish. I can own property and spend my wages as I see fit. But even in my own community I can see room for improvement: from men who make casual chauvinistic comments, to people questioning the wisdom of me going for a run in the dark by myself, to the different ways I treat my son and daughter. I would also love to get a better understanding of the lives of women in other communities in Bradford, where I live (and indeed around the world); the similarities in our experiences as well as the differences.
So, I have decided that I would like to become a better feminist. It's no longer enough for me to merely enjoy the fruits of other people's struggles. But: where to begin? How can I possibly make a difference? The answer, I think, lies close to home. I can challenge everyday sexism when I encounter it. I can "reclaim the streets" in my own small way, and refuse to be scared of the bogeyman. I can teach my son and daughter respect for others.
So, I'm not expecting a large readership of my blog; I don't consider myself to be a natural writer and it will probably contain more questions than answers. But it might help me to organise my own thoughts and explore my attitudes as I learn to become a better feminist. I will write about things as they occur to me, and welcome any comments you may have, especially if you are already a better feminist than me and have any pointers!