“Please hear me, Girl: The world has enough women who know how to do their hair. It needs women who know how to do hard and holy things.”
Ann Voskamp
The day after International Women's Day seemed like the right time for these words.
They are a bit cheeky, but I like them because they try to get us to focus on the things that matter; not the thing that distract.
Women who do hard and holy things...
I live in a great country, in the 21st century; I am a white, educated woman; I am pretty much supposedly equal under the law with my male counterparts; but the number of times I notice inconsistencies in attitudes and behaviours to how we treat women and how we treat men goes beyond counting.
I can happily think about doing hard and holy things without religious overtones, and am happy to call myself a feminist and to bring attention to those moments and attitudes and responses where women are treated differently, even tho I may be called harping, or going on about things. The more we raise the issues; the better chance we have of changing things...
And I am still not real good at doing makeup or hair!
Ann Voskamp
The day after International Women's Day seemed like the right time for these words.
They are a bit cheeky, but I like them because they try to get us to focus on the things that matter; not the thing that distract.
Women who do hard and holy things...
I live in a great country, in the 21st century; I am a white, educated woman; I am pretty much supposedly equal under the law with my male counterparts; but the number of times I notice inconsistencies in attitudes and behaviours to how we treat women and how we treat men goes beyond counting.
I can happily think about doing hard and holy things without religious overtones, and am happy to call myself a feminist and to bring attention to those moments and attitudes and responses where women are treated differently, even tho I may be called harping, or going on about things. The more we raise the issues; the better chance we have of changing things...
And I am still not real good at doing makeup or hair!
What a fabulous quote! So funny, that I read this just after making a hair appointment - SO happy there ARE women who can do others' hair with skillful holiness, while I struggle with my own 'hard and holy things' :)
ReplyDeleteWe need all of the things that women do I think; but we can't just do the easy stuff! Laugh that you had just booked the hairdresser - fabulous timing.
Deleteall my life I have wondered why women could not be considered equal!
ReplyDeleteI know Mo, it does my head in! I was brought up totally equal and never really understood until later that the world didn't necessarily work that way...onwards!
DeleteI don't use makeup or do my hair (I have curly hair - it's enough to wash and comb it) but: Women can do both AND they should know how to do hard and holy things. It's not necessary to decide between the two ;-).
ReplyDeleteBest wishes from Jorin
I agree we need to do all that we can; but let's just not forget the tough stuff! I try to look after my hair but I think I am a disappointment to my hairdresser poor woman :-)
DeleteDriving home from a workshop this afternoon I was listening to a radio interview about this being 25 years since the writing of Men are from Mars, Women from Venus. I've never read it but there was a lot of talk about feminism and how a woman should have written it instead of a man. It seems to be a discussion that will run and run... but at least we're having the debate!
ReplyDeleteThere are days I can't believe it's the 21st Century Lesley - poor Barry gets that look from me What?!?!?!??! when I come across some other or new outrage. I try not to spend all my time in high alt; but some days truly do my head in...
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