Since I now live in this town, I’m starting to pay closer attention to “local news,” particularly if it has an impact on my life. Human after all. Apparently, San Francisco city supervisors have placed a measure on the municipal ballot for next year that would, if passed, effectively ban handguns in the city. You can listen to this segment about the topic on NPR.
Hearing this made me think of my life in South Africa in the early nineties. I also lived there in 1984-85 but at that time, it was still a very white elitist place. When I lived there the second time around, nearly every woman I knew who lived or worked in Johannesburg, carried a handgun in their purse.
When we parked our van in the city at night, my ex-husband Michael would disable parts of the engine to reduce our chances of theft, which was prevalent at the time — especially vans which could be repainted and turned into what was referred to as ‘black taxis’ overnight.
I certainly don’t feel the need to carry a handgun in San Francisco, yet the urban feel of many parts of the city is a dramatic change from Boston, which has always felt incredibly safe to roam around at night alone.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
