Who doesn’t remember the scandal that consumed the nation and the world in the late ’90s? The infamous adventures, the trials and tribulations of Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton, and the virtual megaphone and media storm that made it a top news story for several weeks.

While some of us thought it was much ado about nothing, there is no question that it provided tremendous ammunition to the Clinton haters and the worldwide media at large.

Incredibly, more than fifteen years have passed since that time, the scandal became old news and Monica Lewinsky had virtually disappeared into obscurity. 

Until, that is, she decided to take a very deliberate and decisive step to re-emerge into the public eye.

After reading about it, I finally had the privilege (yes, it was) of watching her TED talk from March. In just about a month, that talk has garnered views in the range of 3.4 million so, this may all be old news to you.

Just in case it isn’t, or you have not yet had the opportunity to watch her talk, I would encourage you to do so.

It’s called “The Price of Shame“, and if anyone knows what that is, it is undoubtedly Ms. Lewinsky. Her talk articulates the horrific experience she went through and the incredible humiliation she had to suffer through. But it is centered around communicating this to people simply so that others who make mistakes in life never have to go through that kind of public shame, ridicule and judgement.

She communicates a message that is related to her experience but geared towards how we treat others who make mistakes in life, how easy it is to bully and get bullied in cyberspace, and her plea for all of us to use empathy and compassion so that others may never suffer the public shame she did.  

Perhaps it will only be curiosity about the public figure she became that will cause you to watch her speak, but I believe you will be as impressed with her eloquence and courage as I was.

[Click on the image below to view the TED talk].

:

With Hillary Clinton’s run for the Presidency, there is little doubt in my mind that there will be an encore of sorts, with the many haters coming out of whatever dark pit they have been hiding in, to blow-up the old scandal anew.  [Watch this space at this time next year]. 

I just wish they could/would listen to the meaningful messages from this strong woman before they started with their public hating and spewing. All over again.

We can always dream, right?

:

: