My friend, Rita Bresnahan, wrote this for a newsletter for the Crones Counsel - LynnAt Crones Counsel in Seattle on September 20th, 2008, an event took place that reflects the power of crones (women in their 60's, 70's, and 80's), to defuse a conflict situation.
Several crones in tables of twos and three were enjoying a late lunch in the Doubletree restaurant. They noticed a disturbance on the other side of the hotel lobby where palm readers and astrologists were setting up for a Psychic Faire. Four fire-and-brimstone protesters in black shirts with blood-red-orange hellish flames had entered the hotel, carrying signs that echoed their T-shirts: "Repent or perish." They made their way to the Psychic Faire hallway and confronted the frightened practitioners there.
Noting this, one crone went over to try to defuse the situation with peaceful Bible quotes, to no avail. Seeing the situation escalating, other crones arose, silently, table by table, and went to stand with their sister crone and the hotel manager. The "grandmothers" linked arms, gradually forming a mass four or five across, four deep, putting themselves between the two groups and blocking off the hallway. Moving as one, and without words, they slowly inched forward, eventually nudging the angry and somewhat-bewildered protesters out the side doors into the parking lot.
Then, as if this were an everyday experience, the group of crones returned to their tables and went back to their lunches.
