847-529-0585
The Town Sound
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
    • 2020 Issues
    • 2019 Issues
    • 2018 Issues
    • 2017 Issues
    • 2016 Issues
  • Contact
  • Other
    • Find a Copy
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

Breaking Stereotypes

6/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who couldn't quite fit into the standard pink box. She thought it was fun to test the limits of uppermost tree branches, participate in water gun battles with neighbor boys, and hunt for new specimens to add to her bug collection. She explored the great outdoors, searching for interesting creatures like frogs, toads, and snakes. She disdained dresses, and instead favored clothing that was better designed for activities such as exploring muddy ravines, climbing knotted rope swings, or hanging upside down from monkey bars.
The neighborhood boys didn't know what to think about this girl who insisted on joining them in their daily adventures. Some accepted her into their sunburned, dusty group. Others openly protested her presence. But she tagged along with the boys, ever ready for the next challenge. When she met with injury as a result of her tomboyish ways, she shrugged it off – most of the time. One day, she acquired a nasty lump on her forehead. Concerned about her new look, she asked the opinion of one of the boys. He assured her that the bump didn't look too bad; it only reminded him of a unicorn, that was all. Alarmed at first, she soon recovered and moved on to other experiences, such as falling off a tire swing and getting the wind knocked out of her. 
Happily, the girl had a father who understood her ways. He taught her how to throw a ball, how to run faster, and how to improve her chess game (although she never quite learned how to successfully checkmate him.) He showed her how to overcome limits that others set for her, and he made it plain that it was okay for a girl to be strong and brave. He accepted her for who she was, and took pride in her capabilities. And his daughter entered her teen years, feeling more secure than most of her peers felt at this age. 
As the girl grew older, she acquired new skills that strangers often assumed were foreign to her gender. Her father fixed houses for a living, and his daughter became his right-hand woman. She learned how to carry two-by-fours, mix cement, and paint houses. She climbed ladders, sweated in attics, and shivered in crawl spaces. She hauled miter saws, furniture, and appliances. She grew accustomed to being underestimated by men and women alike. She often heard grim predictions of how she might hurt her back or ruin her posture. One man refused to let her assist her father in hauling lumber. When she didn't take no for an answer, he relegated her to middle position (an altogether useless role), as he picked up her end of the beam. She said nothing, but from her middle position, she mischievously raised the beam until it was the doubter who found himself performing an unnecessary gesture.
That worrisome girl never did break her back, wreck her posture, or strain her “delicate” bones. She is now a tall woman with a strong frame. She knows that she is perfectly capable of removing tough jar lids, carrying heavy boxes, and shoveling snow. She still enjoys exceeding people's expectations. She has also learned to wear dresses (sometimes), to carry herself gracefully, and to embrace her femininity.  True, she might never be as capable in the kitchen as her father and brother are... only because their cooking skills are so amazing. After all, the men in her family enjoy breaking stereotypes, too.
0 Comments

    Author

    Rebekah Schultz

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Click here for a monthly subscription by mail. 
You can also pick up a FREE copy anytime at Zion Oasis, Jewel-Osco, Piggly Wiggly, or PNC Bank in Zion; at The Sweet Stop in Winthrop Harbor; and at Woodman's in Kenosha. See the inside back cover of our latest issue for a complete listing of other businesses where you can find The Town Sound.
Contact us   .   Home   .   About us
Click here to unsubscribe from deliveries.