Introducing myself and my journal: Silent No More

About Me:
Hallo sisters of the world. I am Maureen Ryan I live near Sheffield in the Uk. I am 68 live with complex health issues which do not deter me from being positive and living an active life. It is in becoming disabled and retired that I have found my voice in a different way, I have taken up writing and poetry and surfing the net..... I am a lesbian woman, mother and grandmother and I have been interested in encouraging women to speak out all my life, becoming more active in the 70's after working with Nancy Klein on Women and Leadership.

I have worked in the community, local government and National Health Service in Training and Development, bringing womens oppression and issues into my work whenever I had the opportunity. I have not had a strong education and this for a long time held me back, it was people believing in me, listening to me and supporting me that raised my confidence and I started to believe I could make a difference..

I have made a difference, not on the world scene or not even nationally but everyday of my life, in every communication I have with people I listen and encourage them to find their authentic voice and thus their truth. I belileve we are here to help and support each other to speak out, encourage each other to dream and support them. we can all make a difference to the world we live in and using the internet we can learn, support each other.

My Passions:
helping others speak out. Poetry. Reading. My grandchildren.

My Challenges:
to continue to remain positive despite my deteriorating health and to not let health and depression stop my zest for an active and full life.

My Vision for the Future:
to live in a world where everyone has support and to know that it is our inherent birthright to have a voice and to be heard.

My Areas of Expertise:
Listening. Mentoring. Believing in people and helping them to believe in themselves. Positive thinking. A heartfelt belief that if women of the world found each other, supported each other and spoke out How different our World would be.