A year ago I worked at the Eidgenössische Turnfest in Aarau. Days in the media business can be pretty long and if you have a boss who likes drinking beer the nights can be even longer. The next day I had to start work as a caregiver early in the morning and there was also a women's strike. I wanted to be part of it. But I told myself that it's important to join the closing time beer at the end of the workday, to belong, to be part of the team. So I went to bed quite late, in the luxury hotel we stayed but with only the alcohol of one beer and one drink in my veins. In the middle of the night, I woke up with horrible cramps and couldn't sleep anymore. As I got up at 5 o’clock to go to the caregiver-work I lose consciousness and found myself on the floor of my white hotel bathroom. But I kept telling myself that I can do it all, work, beer, no sleep, period, more work and striking.
Normally I don’t take any Painkillers, cause it breaks my heart to know they are tested on helpless animals but this morning I had so much pain I couldn't even stand upright anymore, so I got dressed and asked the reception for a pill. I was holding on to the reception desk, with a bent back, moaning and crying, as the man at the reception told me he does have nothing to help me, and he does not know where to get any painkiller or when the pharmacy opens. In short, he did not care at all and this in a hotel with more than three stars. I had to catch the train, so I walked to the railway track and still thought I'd make it to work. Luckily Dara, the moderator of the TV show we were filming, had to catch the same train and as she found me heavily breathing on the bench she helped me into the train. I felt like an old woman.
On the train, the pain was almost unbearable and I asked all people around if anyone has some painkillers. Unfortunately, I didn't have breakfast, so I guess you can imagine how my stomach reacted to the pill. I barely made it to the bathroom. And as I was sitting on the floor of the stinky, dirty, wet, train toilet I had to admit I wouldn't make it to work and called my boss out of sleep. He was very understanding and luckily his girlfriend was with him, so he had someone who helped him out of bed and with the morning routine.
When we arrived in Bern Dara brought me to the pharmacy before she had to take the train back to Aarau to interview some people on the way. The woman in the pharmacy took good care of me and I soon had water and some glucose in my stomach and a painkiller in my hands. I started to feel better and thanked all the apes, rabbits and mice who left their life to help to create painkillers for humans. I was on the way home as I realized that I left my keys in the hotel room. But for such situations, I left one Key with my lovely neighbor Annina and I had so much luck that she was at home this morning.
I went to bed with a hot water bottle to get some rest. My bed is a good place for thinking and reflecting and before I fell asleep I knew the sentence I would write on my banner if I’d make it to the strike. I had weird mixed dreams and as I woke up I knew that I could never show more commitment for women than as a bleeding, hardworking, loving and committed woman together with thousands of other women to fight for her rights and understanding of the women's cycle at a women's strike. I pulled my shit together and wen
t to the strike. It was the most healing, powerful and touching environment I’ve ever been during my moon time. And I thanked the world for my girlfriends and for a strong sisterhood globally, supported by a loving, understanding Brotherhood.