My latest show obsession has been a Netflix-made Spanish show called “Las Chicas del Cable“ or The Cable Girls. It follows four main women: Lidia/Alba, Ángeles, Marga, and Carlota in 1920’s Spain as women are fighting for their rights. While working at Madrid’s first telephone company as switchboard operators, these women become close friends, sticking together throughout it all. You name it: love lives, deaths, births, lesbian romances, church wedding fires and stolen babies by evil future-mother-in-laws (it’s a bit tellanovella-ish), and more. It’s in Spanish which is good for me to practice listening, but you want watch it with subtitles. It’s worth the watch. Trust me.

I love this show for a thousand reasons. But mostly because these ladies won’t let anyone hold them back. They bounce back with the support of each other and come out swinging harder each time they emerge. I love this show because it reminds me of a friend group of women that I’m a part of. Each time something happens, we have someone to turn to. In fact, we have several others to turn to. No judgement, just respect, support, love, and lots of wine and gin. If someone tried to burn down the church while one of us was getting married and then try to steal our baby, that person (or persons) would face the wrath of our friendship. 

That’s what’s getting me through the day today when those in power might believe Dr. Ford, but have chosen not to care. It’s my friends. It’s the ladies I turn to when I need a pick-me-up. It’s the women I will always show up for.

After watching Dr. Ford give her testimony before a panel of all white men while showing poise, restraint, and courage, and then watching her accused rage and erratically rant and refuse to directly answer questions only to be called simply “emotional” by many outlets because he has such a “bright future,” I had to wonder, “How did women in the Bible do it?!” How did they deal with the little power they had when men were allowed to run rampant with power?

Look at the rape of Tamar. Her brother was allowed to rape her because of who he was. His father, David, had been allowed to get away with having an affair with Bathsheba because he couldn’t control himself, having her husband killed, and he faced no consequences. The precedent had been set. Tamar was raped and then told to be quiet by her other brother all because Absalom couldn’t control himself. Like his father. Who didn’t do anything to Absalom after he raped his sister. Do you see the cycle? 

So, Tamar ripped her clothes and put ashes on her head, because what else could she do?

I wonder who believed her. I wonder if other women were outraged.

I hope Tamar had her own group of Cable Girls that put ashes on their heads and tore their clothes with her. I hope she has a group of women that held her up so she could come out swinging. I hope all women have their own Cable Girls. I know I have mine.