Miley Cyrus & Our Future

I saw this tweet / retweet on Twitter…

Tweet: “Why aren’t marriages lasting like our grandparents?”

Retweet: “Women are allowed to have checking accounts.”

It has to be considered. Back in the days of my grandmother, when women were tethered to the home and children clutching their hemlines (which I acknowledge works and fulfills some, but not all), there was no way out. Without money, there is no future, and without agency, there is no hope. And even if - for some, those handcuffs were welcome, for others - they were not. Regardless of what you wanted, you had limited options for a world larger than the one you entered with ‘I do.’ If you had been sold a bill of goods, or grew to see yourself in a different geography or life, there was no doorway to take you there.

Miley Cyrus launched a song last week. Flowers. Turns out it’s had 90,000,000 downloads; yes that is ninety million downloads in less than a week. The most played song on Spotify in one week ever. It’s a catchy tune that will bring a prideful rise in any woman who has moved past a bad relationship and not sent herself immediately into another. It fills you with pride that you have the resources today to provide your own happiness. But I believe the reason it is doing so well is more about the message and less about the tune.

If you are one of the few million who haven’t heard it, watch her now.

I taped myself singing with my hairbrush as my mic, and sent it to just a few close friends who I know will find it impossible to avoid joining me in song and dance this wintery Monday morning. (I would have sent it to more, but there are some unfortunate aging spots that are not working for me front and center.) Empower me any day Miley. And, by the way, I have grown to love your tattoos. You be you girl. I’m finally being me.

Here are the lyrics so you too can sing along.

Flowers We were good, we were gold Kinda dream that can't be sold We were right 'til we weren't Built a home and watched it burn Mm, I didn't wanna leave you I didn't wanna lie Started to cry but then remembered I I can buy myself flowers Write my name in the sand Talk to myself for hours Say things you don't understand I can take myself dancing And I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than you can Can love me better I can love me better, baby Can love me better I can love me better, baby Paint my nails, cherry red Match the roses that you left No remorse, no regret I forgive every word you said Ooh, I did not wanna leave you, baby I didn't wanna fight Started to cry but then remembered I I can buy myself flowers Write my name in the sand Talk to myself for hours, yeah Say things you don't understand I can take myself dancing, yeah I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than you can Can love me better I can love me better, baby Can love me better I can love me better, baby Can love me better I can love me better, baby Can love me better Oh, I I did not wanna leave you I didn't wanna fight Started to cry but then remembered I I can buy myself flowers (oh) Write my name in the sand (mmh) Talk to myself for hours (yeah) Say things you don't understand (never will) I can take myself dancing, yeah I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than Yeah, I can love me better than you can Can love me better I can love me better, baby (oh) Can love me better I can love me better (than you can), baby Can love me better I can love me better, baby Can love me better

--Christine Merser, Managing Partner, Blue Shoe