You know, the funny thing is, last June, when I attended the "Women Deliver" Reproductive Health conference at the Washington, DC Convention Center, one of the highlights for me was hearing this woman talk about her commitment to maternal and child health. At the time, Melinda Gates was just a face on a large satellite screen, but I remember being greatly impressed by her poise and passion for the same kind of issues I care deeply about.
So it was an extraordinary privilege to shake her hand earlier this evening, and to thank her for the boost of inspiration. After all, I had seen her speak just a few days before I had to sign a contract committing to a a third year of living in Nairobi. A third year that HER foundation had paid for. Oh sure, I hear some of you out there thinking, "Rachel can't even recognize that she's swallowed about a gallon of the Philanthropic Kool-Aid, and her bleeding heart has condemned her to roam the Earth in search of so-called 'meaning,' instead of hauling her happy ass back to America where she belongs."
Naaah, I just want to build on my collection of photographs of me standing near immensely influential women whose names begin with M. First Michelle, and now Melinda. Better sleep with the camera next to me tonight, in case the Virgin Mary appears at the foot of my bed.
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