On the second Friday of every month, Malibu holds its Women in Film networking breakfast. That’s the way it’s been for the past 11 years without hiatus. One of our meetings fell on Sept.14, three days after the attack on America, the day President Bush named “Day of Prayer.”
America was in shock and we started to cancel the breakfast. We asked ourselves if this is appropriate. On television, I heard Chief Bernard Parks say, “Don’t let the terrorists take your freedom away. Continue your day as usual.” Members were calling and asking, “Is there going to be a breakfast this Friday?… Let’s do it…. We need to be around people…” Someone asked, “Should we give out American flags at the breakfast?” I said no. Let’s just do what we normally do. Let’s give out love.
And so it was all about love that morning. We had an open mike. Everyone had the opportunity to come up and say who they are, what they do, what they need, and what they can offer.
I was surprised to see the majority of the people who were from New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. Some had arrived in Los Angeles within days prior to the attack. One member asked us to try and forgive the unforgivable. We held hands, we hugged and kissed one another. At one point we all stood and sang “God Bless America.”
There was always something special about the Women in Film breakfasts that I could never put into words. On Friday, Sept. 14, it became very clear that through networking, mentoring and empowering one another comes love.
Candace Bowen