It was both ironic and serendipitous that Tuesday evening’s program about dealing with discrimination in our community was presented by the Beverly Department of Education and The Cabot Theater just three days after “The Dreyfuss Affair.”

“What is Gender? Why Does It Matter?” Alex Myers, author, educator, and transgender activist tackled this subject as he shared his personal story and welcomed questions and comments during the Community Conversation at The Cabot last week. His presentation was so riveting that we decided to share some of the takeaways for those of you who couldn’t make it – and as reminders for those of you who were there.

One of our favorite children’s books is a humorous guide to manners illustrated by Maurice Sendak of Where The Wild Things Are fame and published in the 1980s. The book, What Do You Say, Dear?, asks what to say when you bump into a crocodile on a crowded street? Or when a nice gentleman introduces you to a baby elephant? Or when the queen feeds you so much spaghetti that you can’t fit in your chair anymore? The answers are pretty straightforward. Say, “excuse me,” or “how do you do,” or “no thank you.”

We thought we had a handle on what Reproductive Rights means, only to realize it keeps changing.

This may not be on your Spring reading list, but it’s worth at least a few minutes of our time. The National Urban League’s 2024 report on the state of Black America focuses on The Civil Rights Act of 1964, 60 years later.

What do you think of when you hear about inequalities in education? Bare bones science equipment, out-of-date books, large class sizes, poorly trained teachers, lack of extracurricular activities? Computers? And when you think about computers and internet connectivity and apps and programs, do you just think about them in the schools? What about in the homes of students?

Most of us know who will get our vote in the presidential election, and, therefore, whose campaign we may contribute to. But what about the down ballot? Particularly in other states.

Last week, I watched the Oscar-nominated movie, Zone of Interest. It’s a Holocaust movie unlike any other Holocaust movie I’ve seen. And, trust me, I’ve watched more than my share of Holocaust movies. They are fodder for Jewish angst. What partially distinguishes this movie is that there are no images of concentration camp internees, no glimpses inside the gas chambers, no heart-wrenching cries of children torn from their mothers’ arms as they debark the trains upon arrival at Auschwitz.

Super Tuesday is over and now our attention is focused on the November elections. The dye is firmly cast and the race will all but surely be between former president Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden. Polls show the race as close; pundits are floating various theories about the outcome.

We have good news and bad news.

Bad news first.

While I was walking through a beautiful flower garden last week with my five-year-old granddaughter (in a land far away from New England), she asked to pick one of the pink blooms. Just one, she insisted. I, of course, gave the standard line about how if everyone picked even just one, soon there would be none for people to see and enjoy.

On Sunday, March 3rd, Leading Ladies will have our first appearance at a brewery. We will be at Night Shift in Everett with a table full of materials designed to encourage the young patrons to register to vote and show up at the polls. We of gray and white hair are bringing along some younger souls to give us added credibility.

Remember the chain letters of the 1980s and 1990s that promised money or recipes galore? All you had to do was forward letters, sometimes with cash or a recipe included, to a list of recipients and you would be significantly rewarded. The recipe chains often worked; the cash chains always seemed to break down somewhere along the line. What was appealing about both was the opportunity to get something with little effort and to connect with other people from near and far.

We’d suggest finishing your Black History Month film odyssey with American Symphony, a documentary that explores the amazing genius of musician/composer/performer/singer/dancer/conductor Jon Batiste. Prepare to be wowed. (Netflix)

Admit it. What are the first images that come to mind when you hear the words affordable housing? The very first thoughts, before your politically correct filter edits your response? Unkempt backyards? Crowded apartments? Lowered property values? Deteriorating schools?

We tried. We really tried to take a break from the news during the holidays. We limited watching MSNBC, listening to NPR, reading the Globe and the New York Times. One of our phones even reported screen time down almost 30 percent.

As we know, many among us have little to be merry about. Charles Dickens long ago gave us a poignant and memorable look at the less fortunate during the holidays with A Christmas Carol, his heart-wrenching tale from the mid-19th century of the overworked and underpaid, those who had little but could still find joy in their friendships and family.

Nonpartisan, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, means “not partisan, especially: free from party affiliation, bias, or designation.” Disinterested, dispassionate, equitable, impartial and indifferent are a few of the suggested synonyms. Leading Ladies was founded with the promise that we would be nonpartisan by not endorsing any candidate or political party. We would take a stance on issues, however, and those positions might sometimes, and even often, ally with particular candidates, and even one party, more than another.

Everyone has an opinion about statistics. There are those who stake their lives on them and those who ignore them summarily. Mark Twain is famous for reputedly saying, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics,” though he attributed the words to British Premier Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

None of us was the mother of gifted athletes. Nonetheless, our kids played sports from a very young age, not because we were in search of an athletic scholarship or a spot in the majors, but because it was the thing to do. Our towns all offered soccer and tee ball, then Little League and Pop Warner football. With the right coaches promoting good sportsmanship and mutual respect, and parents on the sidelines doing the same, sports for our kids were a fine way to spend a Saturday morning or weekday afternoon.