Orchid, as for languages, there is a way to work around that too.

I'll give you an example. I really like my SIL's mother. She is Algerian and only speaks French. Yet, I email her all the time and she is a friend of mine on facebook. I use the google translator and it has been working great. I am so glad for this tool because this woman is remarkable and I enjoy our conversations.

Cheers,
Cathi

Obviously you been to Algeria, Wisdom? Glad it works for you. My dearie, finds using babelfish translation software for some German, works only partially..he still has to consult his dictionary.
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Dotsie: I have to apologize that I have NEVER looked at the "Our Voices" stories thread section until today. And I've been on the forums over 2 yrs. realize that there could some personal stories to offer up.

But this anonymity thing is a bother. I know employers and other professionals check people up in google. So easy. So something to think about later. Since I've been giving fragment stories everywhere but..that particular section.
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Getting back to diversity, other non-posting women or other women out in the big world: I think this story illustrates the 2 separate worlds of women the best. This forum is missing alot of more different voices. And it's probably related to social class perceptions, inhibitions, differences in style of how we communicate with one another (even if it's all in English). THe title is abit deceiving:

http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com/display_stories.php?item_id=1062
It expresses best what I've been saying all along.
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And something I wrote some time ago. It is written from a perspective of career climbing/expansion. Everything I have said here in these forums over the years, is partially expressed in this article. I do believe it is possible to carry values into the workplace, but it can be tough. It requires understanding the language when sitting down at a business meeting with predominantly men for some of the employers I've worked for. Even understanding the workplace culture and becoming skilled in navigating one's way without losing one's true essence. It's been a long journey. It's not over.

It does have relevance in a way to this whole discussion on social networking in homogenous vs. heterogenous groups.
http://www.aallnet.org/caucus/aallc/Newsletter/news020.html#networking

Orchid wrote "Does this make some people here feel uncomfortable, puzzled? Is it discomforting to ask such harmless questions? What do you think the main demographic of this group is? While we are all human, our backgrounds, perceptions can affect one interacts with others." I regularly come and go depending on which drama I'm coping with at any given time. Having no effective extended family, I come here for support. I could write it all in my journal, but here I get a real true cohort to help me cope. After a bit, I have had quite enough of myself, so I lay low for a while. To come here is to be here for 2 hours. It is midnight. I started reading at 10! I want to read everything about everyone, but that is impossible. And sometimes I feel vulnerable to others' pain because I may tend to carry it with me, so I can't comment. Maybe that is selfish? If I am in my dramas I cannot communicate comfort to others. That explains partially the coming and going. Like Cathi, I used to agonize over the grammar of every message, but now I am more casual. It does not matter how one writes; the forum has embraced a variety of language quirks and writing styles. Yes, this is a homogenous subculture without diversity. I've invited women here who lurk, then tell me they are not comfortable due to a perceived collective persona that is just not for them. Because EW & Humlan & Lola live abroad means that they are Americans experiencing European culture. I don't think that is diversity that Orchid speaks of? We have had citizens of Australia, Ireland, etc. yet, the baby-boomer population is for the most part an American phenomena. I may be mistaken, please set me straight, no research memorized. So in that respect, it is what it is, and that's why I am here. I'd go elsewhere if I wanted an international experience. I joined 4 years ago. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have evolved exponentially. Why are people so fascinated with a brief message about drinking orange juice? Are we as a nation so stressed out from war and politics that we need to be entertained by the games 24/7? The internet users of social network seem to drive toward those sites, rather than spending time here where one can delve more deeply into a topic about anything, for example, diversity, amongst her peers. Plus, there are more boomer forums to choose from where once there was ONE or TWO. Orchid always challenges me to think. What is different for me now as opposed to 4 years ago is that I feel safer in writing my thoughts here, rather than just lurking without comment. That has been the biggest gift to me from BW- SPEAK: the encouragement of women to define and voice my opinion, from one who was brought up to be seen and not heard. Dianne, surely you can buy a laptop for yourself? I was chagrined to hear that this was your safe place to be yourself, then you had to retreat Good night. minus 13 degrees F in Colorado

I read all that is written with interest.

Due to WW2 and the fact UK Canada Australia and NZ had a longer war than US the 1946 onward children here are a great force.But of course US being larger there are more children.

I have posted about Scotland in many ways.
Music.. writers..art.. theatre.. castles.. recipes.. customs.Susan Boyle...
I am pround of my nation for many reasons ..explorers missionaries National Health Service.
Ashamed in part that Glasgows Tobacco Lords grew rich on slavery.

..so when we talk about divesity what exactly do we mean.Only a few women here show interest in my country

You're right, an American experiencing European culture is slightly different than a German-born woman living in Germany and communicating in English. Quite different. Both are equally valid experiences, but different. Quite different. In my last job, it is so true, after supervising 2 German young women, born, raised and educated in Germany with home still in Germany. They were on work visas here in Canada. Totally different from Canadian-born German woman that I worked with in another job, who was raised in Canada and then lived/worked in Switzerland for 7 years for the Canadian embassy there.

So far, I also have interpreted the baby boomer phenomena ascribed to primarily for North America. Not sure about the Commonwealth: U.K., etc. Perhaps our members can enlighten us without extensive research. Was there a big baby boom after WWII?

Diversity I am speaking of includes women of colour who are also born /families have been part of North America for 2-3-4 generations. We have no Afro-American women here except Songbird drops by and then there was someone else who posted, who was here for awhile. Other than Diamond (who has an incredible mixed race heritage. Ask her.) and myself, nothing.

There is a cultural norm/vibe that does require a woman to figure out and participate. It is unintentional but the vibe is created from the women who participate here collectively. It takes time to figure it. But I would submit here, that it is not productive to say "it's perfect, let's not change'...groups get tight/cliquish and stagnate in terms of ideas and thoughts. Tendency to talk about the same stuff ie. American-based (this is in response to Mountain Ash's latest comments about lack of much hinterest in her end of the world.) Or maybe that's what people want, how they define a "safe" harbour for a virtual cup of coffee and chat.

And unfortunately because there are so few of us posting here, that it decreases the probability of meeting an active poster for many members, living within a geographic area that is not so far flung. ie. within 1 day's car drive or so.

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Mountain Ash: Maybe I'll just start talking abit later about what is happening where we live ..when the Winter Olympics 2010 will descend upon us in 2 months. We live downtown within 1- kms. of major event venues and it's affecting our daily lives abit now and for next few months.

Just talk about certain things locally that relate to other things that are happening similarily elsewhere. Why not? Americans don't ask for permission / test non-Americans for their interest/disinterest on American stuff. And I'm not even referring to politics. More cultural/historical events, activities and trends.

WW2..The men returning from war and reuniting with wives or marrying caused the Boom.

Orchid you say
Mountain Ash's latest comments about lack of much hinterest in her end of the world.) Or maybe that's what people want, how they define a "safe" harbour for a virtual cup of coffee and chat.
......


Well if I dropped in for coffee I would expect to be asked where I came from..

I did say several posters showed interest.

Thanks for all this feedback. It's so cool to see what's in the hearts and minds of those who frequent this online home.

Keep sharing...

Good morning. We embrace the concept of diversity: equality and acceptance of different races and cultures, socio-economics, life-styles, such as gay, and religion. That is the theory. October I was invited to do a blog-talk radio interview on a channel that was predominantly African-American women. I was honored to talk about domestic violence to an audience not typical for my talks, yet it is all the human race. However, I won't participate in their forums (other than Facebook) because why? I can't know the situations that have been affected by their collective culture & race.. I don't want to intrude. I've said I went back to college in my forties for social work. In the one "diversity" class students were asked to write about the culture of their origins. You would not believe that the majority of young Americans did not know their ancestry! I am second generation, so got benefit of traditions of Italians, and grew-up stories of immigration and Italian language. The younger generations did not know. They did not care, either. Just saying. Hope I made some sense to contribute food for thought based on personal experience. Orchid wrote: "Maybe I'm not here so often to see more different women posting, versus us enthusiastic regular posters here." IMO you are here often and you are certainly observant, so I doubt you missed anyone!

Orchid wrote: "Kinda of like a happy band that tried to play in tune but alot of voices and musical pieces popping out all over the place from everyone's instruments. At least the band is playing. It's not the symphony, but it is real soulful presence." As a former flower child, this reminds me of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead from the days of the album American Beauty. At concerts, they never played the same song the same way, and the fans never knew what to expect. About the baby boom, my step-father is British and served both British Army & American Army. He says of the baby-boom in England and Australia. I'm interested in Scotland, Mountain Ash, I'm just mad I can't visit you there. One of the things I'd like to know of other countries is the level of interest in celebrities. Here it is celebrity driven society. As for sharing on BWS, here is where I learned how to share beyond the minutia of my day, into deeper levels of life. The virtual sharing and supportive responses, and then others sharing, empowered me to go forth in the real world. I learned to be open here, on this forum. OK, enough of me, me, me