I credit my independence and determination to necessity. I had to, so I did. And why commit to life if you’re not true to yourself? And yet, so many people do. So many women do. So very many southern women do.
I worked in a male-dominated career for 20 years, and loved it. I like to make decisions, argue a point, make things happen. And when I left it for career number two, I found myself surrounded by teenage girls — girls who, right now in 2015, shelved their dreams to please others. They acted out of ‘what you are supposed to do’. They waited for a boy to come along so their life could start. These girls had support of their goals and a plan to achieve them, but little exposure to role models and mentors within those fields. It was/is baffling. So I started Girls of Grit Summer Day Camp to provide activity-based learning for girls to develop their leadership skills and self-esteem.
One male potential sponsor asked me if we were going to burn our bras. “You, sir, are exactly why I do this.”