shimmer like a girl

In honour of International Women's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate this post to my Sheroes: a healthy mix of people I've never met and people I know.  Admittedly, the criteria to be my Shero isn't all that exclusionary, but it's still a pretty elite group.

 

My Mom

You're darn right I'm listing my mom.  If any of you can look at me with a straight face and tell me that your mom doesn't rock, then I feel sorry for you.  Now, my mom didn't do anything extraordinary - she didn't overcome great obstacles to raise her two children, she didn't write a book, make movies, or win the lottery.  All she did was give birth to me and raise me to be the fantabulous person that you know and love, which, I guess is a bit impressive.  Weaker people would have been scared at the thought of preparing me for the world, but my mom took on the challenge and look at the end result. I rock, therefore, so does she.

Margaret Sanger

American birth control activist and the founder of the American Birth Control League.  She believed that for women to be considered more “equal” in society and to have physically and mentally healthy lives, they needed to be able to decide when a pregnancy would be most convenient for themselves, not to mention allowing women to be able to fully enjoy sexual relations, without being burdened by the fear of pregnancy.  In a time in history where women were still seen as chattel and baby making machines, she fought for their right to be able to control their bodies.  I'm surprised she wasn't strung up by her toenails for some of the stuff she wrote back then.  It doesn't seem as shocking now, but if you put yourself in the mindset of the early 1900's patriarchy and then read it, it's pretty revolutionary.

P!nk (aka Alecia Moore)

Singer-Songwriter

To know me is to know my love of P!nk.  This gal can sing the alphabet and I would buy it.  She is unapologetic about who she is or what she does, and you have to admire that.  Her songs are all about being alive and feisty and not sitting down and shutting up...even though people would like you to.  She takes no shit from anyone and does it all on her own terms, and she's got a hell of a voice.  (Her husband's pretty hot too).

 
 

Eve Ensler

Playwright

You may not know her name, but you know the name of one of her most famous works, a little play known as "The Vagina Monologues."  A play whose existence has created an entire movement known as "V-Day". (The 'V' stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina). According to the website, V-Day's vision is that of a world where women live safely and freely.  V-Day demands that rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery end immediately and that women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $60 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it. Awesome.

 

 Beth Ditto

(lead singer for The Gossip)

There are no other words to describe how I feel about Beth Ditto other than to say, "I fucking love her!".  She is known for her outspoken support of LGBT and feminist causes, and caused the world to completely freak out when she claimed to have eaten squirrel when she was a kid, saying, "people in Arkansas just do – they'd think you were a freak if you ate squid there!" Ditto is known for her noticeable stage dances and her unique and revealing image. It's nothing for her to start a show completely clothed and end it in just her bra and panties.  She has been lauded for her support of positive body image, even though "the man" feels that she may be causing harm to public health by saying that it's ok to be obese.  You know what I say to that?  "Damn the man!"

The *StAr BiTcHeS*

(L-R: Tania, Alison, Leigh, Charlene)

I know the saying that you'll never have the friends again in life that you did in high school is totally cliche, but in this case, it's true.  These gals and I go WAAAAY back and not a day goes by that I'm not blessed to have them in my life.  Though we're all separated by geography physically, we can get together and pick up like nothing had ever happened.  I love them all for the same, and for different reasons.  I love that Tania gives everyone the benefit of the doubt (cuz most of the time, I totally don't.)  I love that Alison is passionate about what goes into her food and what goes into her body (which is what happens when you spend time organic farming in New Zealand.)  I love that Leigh is the teeniest little spitfire you'll ever meet. (Don't even think of trying to come between her and her pit bulls, because she will kick your ass.)  I love that Charlene is completely oblivious to how cool she truly is (and she is.  You have no idea.)  I love and miss my BiTcHeS.

Everyone has one woman in their life who has influenced them some way, whether they realise it or not.  I could go on and on, but instead I will end it here and just say that I am blessed to have known some amazing women throughout my life and not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for that.