I Am Proud To Be A Woman
Photo by Juan Rodriguez
This year, I was asked to be part of the Advisory Board for the Women's March in my community. I was beyond thrilled, because that's such a huge honor, especially coming from one of my former supervisors at work and mentor through the past several years. The offer came the week of Christmas, in the midst of finalizing shopping and other errands that needed to be done.
I said yes. And immediately got to work. But, I'd be lying if I didn't say that after I said yes, I wondered what the heck I'd gotten myself into, because with such a task comes great responsibility. This wasn't their first event, but what if I didn't live up to the expectations or hype that my mentor had sold them on me with. What if I didn't get as much accomplished as they hoped?
But, I did it anyway. I pushed through the thoughts and jumped into the work - media plans to stick to, press releases to send out, follow up emails and phone calls, interviews to schedule and meetings to attend. And while I'm so happy with the results, it was about so much more than that anyway. It was about the relationships and connections along the way.
As the days inched closer to the March, I started thinking about what it really means to be a woman. The rights we have to vote and use our voice in this country. The opportunities, or lack thereof, and the things that are still left to fight for. I thought about the women I'm closest to - those in my family, my friends, those I work with. The things I admire about them, and then in turn, the kind of woman I want to be. And what that means.
What do I stand for?
Who am I aside from what I do at work or the things I produce?
Who do people see me as?
What are the things I want to use my voice for?
What kind of impact can I make – not daydreaming about the future, but right now, in my own community?
Photo by Juan Rodriguez
This is what I came to the conclusion of...
I want to be the kind of woman who speaks my heart and mind with grace.
The kind of woman who loves fiercely, but doesn’t let people take advantage of that.
I want to not be afraid to ask for what I know I deserve.
I want to fall in love, even if it isn’t forever, and have the courage to believe that even if that one wasn’t, it can happen again.
I want to be the kind of woman that breaks down walls and fights for those who can’t speak for themselves.
I want to be the kind of woman who doesn’t see ‘failure' as the end of the road, but as feedback to consider and keep going.
I want to be the woman who dreams and reminds others that anything is possible and within reach, as long as you work hard and put in the time.
I want to be the kind of woman who isn’t afraid to break out of my comfort zone and shake things up a bit.
I want to see color where others only see black and white.
I want to be the kind of woman who fights for the things close to my heart and those around me.
I want to forgive easily…Myself and others.
I want to be the kind of woman who brings people closer to Jesus.
I want to be the kind of woman who doesn’t limit herself because of outside voices or things I tell myself.
I want to be the woman who stays the course, even when all I see are obstacles and hurdles to jump through.
I want to be the woman who live without limits, without looking back or getting caught in regrets.
I want to be the kind of woman who laughs and smiles at the future, rather than letting anxiety get the worst of me.
I want to be the kind of woman who always believes the best is yet to come.
I want to be the kind of woman who believes in herself more than anyone. Because it's one thing to have support, but no one is going to believe in your dream more than you will.
I want to be the kind of woman to encourage those around me to live their best lives and to be who they were born to be.
I want to be the kind of woman who doesn't compare myself to others, but just celebrates what the other women around me are doing - learning from them and that we all bring different skills to the table. We aren't competing.
I want to be the kind of woman who is always there for my friends when they need me - when it isn't easy, when it isn't pretty and when it's hard.
I want to be the kind of woman who doesn't sweat her mistakes, but learns from them and just keeps marching on.
This was my first time participating in the Women's March and it was so empowering. Honestly, I'm still trying to process it. To see so many women from all different walks of life, backgrounds, faiths, upbringings and so on, come together in solidarity for each of her own beliefs and for the sisters around her.
Our team arrived at 6 a.m. for media interviews and start setting up. It was foggy and FREEZING. Over the next few hours, the stage was set, the merchandise table and volunteer booths were set up and vendors rolled in to go to their respective areas. Watching it go from an empty park to an actual event with thousands of people was a sight to see. If only we'd had a time-lapse video to see the full effect.
Just before 10 a.m., when the program was set to begin, people started filing in. There were so many phenomenal women who spoke - some that I know personally, some I knew of in the community and others I hadn't known of until that day. But, I was in awe of their talents and skills and the way they used their voices. They shared their stories, all focusing on different aspects of the unity principles and encouraging other women.
Those Unity Principles consist of:
Ending Violence
Reproductive Rights
LGBTQUIA Rights
Worker's Rights
Civil Rights
Disability Rights
Immigrant Rights
Environmental Justice
While all of these are important, I specifically marched for Worker's Rights. Equal pay. Equal opportunity in the workplace. I've seen what a challenge it can be for women to get the same promotions that men do. It takes them more time to get promotions, when they've usually done more work and have more experience.
"I'm so sick of running as fast as I can/Wonderin' if I'd get there quicker if I was a man," as Taylor Swift sings in one of her latest songs, "The Man." As I'm getting into the thick of my career, I've seen how tricky it can be to navigate as a woman in her 20's, fighting for opportunities and a chance to do what she's qualified to do. And not even just me - it's a tricky thing to navigate, no matter what the age.
Just before noon, the president of the university I work at spoke and then, American labor leader and civil rights activisit, Dolores Huerta, came on stage to give a few words and lead us into the March. As we walked the Streets of Bakersfield, many thoughts were spinning in my mind. Thinking of those that paved the way so that we have the freedom to do things like the Women's March all across the nation. Thinking of how far we've come, but how far we still have to go. This has been quite the journey, but I'm glad that the conversations and other strides are still happening in workplaces, in families, in communities and so on.
Once the March ended, we circled back to the park, where it was a party with performers and plenty of food options to choose from. We listened to some talented local performers, ate, mingled with one another and finally, it came to a close, at 3 p.m.
The car ride home was pretty surreal. What a day. It was long (after waking up at 4:30 a.m.), it was COLD and it was so much fun. I learned so much about each woman that spoke on stage and got to hear from others that have different backgrounds. And I learned that I'm far more capable of doing things than I give myself credit for. We all are capable of so much more.
I'm so proud of the team and everything they accomplished, and I'm so glad I said yes. If this is the beginning of what it looks like to say yes and see what follows, I'm excited about 2020 and all that's to come.
That's all for now,