International Women’s Day

I haven’t thought much on the rarity of my lifestyle. A single woman in my mid thirties, balancing income from more than a full time job, paying bills and a mortgage with the dependence of a dog, living independently without any help. I don’t know that I chose this life directly, but found my way here through a series of choices unfolding over the years. It doesn’t seem that rare or unique to me, to be so independent.

Growing up I must have spent a lot of my childhood protected from the world. It never occurred to me that by being female I was missing out on opportunities or considered less than because of my gender. I spent most of my time with my male cousins and their friends and never ever felt compelled to be like them, or felt pressure from them to measure up, we were all just ourselves. Sure there were jokes and comments about throwing like a girl, but I was never the one who threw like one (likely they knew they’d get hit).

Growing up in a bubble of privilege surrounded by men who treated me as an equal human, rather than a lesser one, I never had to fight a battle for the purpose of feminism, I just existed.

I was free to be as girly as a girl could be. Dressing up as a princess in a fancy gown dripping in sequins to walk around the house in high heels with kid makeup on. My Snow White dress, homemade by mom for Halloween, became my daily after school outfit adorned for minutes of twirling round and round watching the skirt fill up around me like petals of a flower. Playing house and dressing up my barbies and wrapping my cat up in a swaddle and carrying her everywhere. Everything was pink, fairytales, princesses, horses and clip on dangly earrings-nothing seemed as magical as a dangling earring, talk about obsession! Whoa was I so girly.

Running around outside climbing trees and pretending the be a kid from the boxcar book series, building a fort in the backyard maze. Catching wild mice from their holes to show my dad, or a lizard kept in a jar overnight. Sledding and biking the dirt hill in the yard, reading books hidden in tall weeds, watching clouds staring at the sky, getting dirty and bit by bugs. Shooting hoops with my dad, shooting at the range, making mud pies, digging in the dirt, and climbing a ladder to the roof with my dad, and building things in his shop. Oh so girly still I felt, never judging my fun as girly or less.

Being female never felt like a punishment or something I needed to prove. How lucky am I that I was raised with such privilege. The privilege born from others fight.

1920. Only one hundred years ago women were given the Right to vote, and only because it was fought for not handed down as a right. As a woman, my adult experiences are not as naive as my childhood, falling into immeasurable holes defending my competency, ability, and capacity for no other reason than someone else’s historical privileged perspective that I am Female therefore less.

In the last one hundred years equal rights have made immense gains, but there’s still a long way to go. I’m so thankful for the women who said “no” in the past despite the struggles they endured. Because of their “no” I have a “yes” to own property and live independent, to go where I please without a chaperone, to express my opinions openly, to supply my own income, to make my own choices, to travel alone to another country, and participate in my Right to vote.

On this womens day, I’m thankful for the trend setters and bra burners of the past. I’m thankful for the women who: push boundaries in fitness and recreation doing hard things because it’s empowering and not for attention: set their own pace and define their own boundaries unwilling to settle for less: demonstrate professional prowess and expertise to fight for fairness and equality in their jobs by leading as examples.

Only recently have I really looked my priviledge in the face to see that in comparison with the rest of the world it really is privilege and not just a right. Having opened my eyes to see, I cannot close them. I’m not sure what comes next for me with this new found space. The world beyond our nation is still far behind the fight of this battle. Perhaps for now it’s enough to pause and simply recognize where we’ve been and that we’re still moving forward with things to do. Today I recognize International Womens Day.