All day yesterday I was trying to write a meaningful post for social media to honor International Women’s Day, March 8th, but because I surround myself with many amazing women I kept running up against a wall of guilt that I would miss mentioning someone, and thereby hurt their feelings. Then I shifted gears and decided to highlight important women in history that affected my life, Nora Ephron, Maya Angelou, but I also wanted to include contemporary women, and there just wasn’t enough room on the photo layout grid to contain them all. Exasperated, I snapped back to what I truly felt, annoyed.
Observational days like this, although important and necessary to gain progress in our patriarchal society, really aggravate me. Why is there only one day out of the entire 365 in the whole year that the “world” stops and acknowledges women? Really? What are we doing for the remaining 364 days? Instead, I decided to post a photo that represented my frustration for the need for a hashtag, aka “permission” to celebrate women by sharing what I appreciate most about being a woman, possessing strength and femininity.
Yours truly after completing 100 push-ups during Day 8 of the #EverythingStreak.
The truth is for the first 5-6 years of my life, I was not thrilled that I was born a girl. I wanted to do what boys did, play sports, play in the dirt, play with GI Joe’s vs. Barbie dolls, wear baseball hats, play with toy guns, build forts, skateboard, etc. However, the twist that you may not see coming is that I didn’t detest wearing dresses, make-up, or pigtails with ribbons in my hair, I liked to feel pretty, it was that I felt I couldn’t do both, be a girl AND do what boys did.
Then I learned about Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean, (along with numerous other accolades), and my point of view of being a girl started to change. She did what *mostly* men were allowed to do, fly, and she did it on her own terms, a pursuit that was very hard, but possible.
The one and only, Amelia Earhart.
Suddenly, my frustration of being a girl transformed into a super-power. I knew nothing would come easy, I didn’t want it to, didn’t need it to, I welcomed the daily challenge and blessing of being a girl. But it wasn’t that simple. The world wasn’t sure what to make of me, because my hair was cut short, I was the only girl playing kickball with the boys at recess, and on more than one occasion I was asked to leave a Women’s bathroom because a restaurant attendant thought I was a boy. *Don’t worry, I was already in therapy at the time, but those bathroom experiences probably helped change my Psychologist's vacation plans from San Diego to Hawaii.*
I think this was my 7th birthday? Not positive...
CUT TO: High school in the mid-90’s, when I really started to believe being a girl was winning the “Life Lottery” because I finally found amazing girlfriends. My two best friends, Emily and Hadara, accepted and loved me early on for exactly who I was, funny, outgoing, sensitive, athletic, and constantly brokenhearted from falling for guys who of course only saw me as their “friend.” To this day Emily and Hadara are who I reach for first when my course direction needs steadying, and any part of our lives deserves celebrating. I’m not sure if men have an equivalent experience to slumber parties, but they alone are a reason to be grateful to be a girl.
T.H.E WOFs from left to right: Taryn, Hadara, and Emily.
Thankfully, in college I stumbled upon another group of hilarious, authentic, and caring women who quickly became the kinds of friends who held my long legs during keg stands, encouraged my affinity for the “smoky eye” look, supported my calling for collaging, and inspired me to stick to my convictions, (then and now), because they were always the loudest and smartest women in the room.
The Goss girls, Top to Bottom: Susie Wood, Chanda Grizell, Sarah Gonzalez, Hillary Jackson, YT, Annie Fabik.
Now that I am settling into my favorite phase of life, the part where I accept and welcome the person I’ve been all along, a woman who believes it is possible to align the infinite power of her body, (strength), with her keen sensitivity and beauty, (femininity), to be a whole person who lives for cheering on other women to love and celebrate exactly who they are.
Every. Single. Day.
The song and video choice this week is quite possibly the greatest music video of all-time, and was the inspiration for my aforementioned “smoky-eye” look, Britney Spears’ classic anthem, Stronger.
You’re welcome.:)