In honor of woman’s history month I’d like to take a moment to thank the women who came before me, the women standing beside me and the women who will carry the torch of our future.
I’ve been in Halestorm for nearly 20 years. If it wasn’t for our “Fore Mothers of Rock n Roll” who came before me, I may not be where I am today. They showed me that it was possible, and that even with all the odds against you, and obstacles in your way… you can achieve your dream. They did not give in, they did not quit, they did not wither. They were a powerful force in inspiring and encouraging me to go after My dream.
It’s a reminder, ladies, of how important it is for us to encourage one another. We must be examples, and show our fellow femmes that society’s definition of a “woman” is false. To be a Woman is not One idea of what a woman should be. We are the sum of many women who were brave enough to take risks, carve paths, stand out and be unapologetically themselves. All the great women of history were not the ones who followed the rules, or kept their eyes to the ground. No, all the great women thinkers, inventers, artists and leaders were the woman who broke from the chain, and swam against the current.
As girls we are taught from an early age that beauty is our number one priority. We play with dolls we will never look like, we have make up kits and sticker earrings, glitter and pink. We wear dresses, are told not to get dirty, to be perfect, to be seen and not heard. We learn that “pretty” equals acceptance and love.
We are taught as young ladies that the world is a scary place, and that we should get married and settle down lest we die alone. And be sure to have a few kids before it’s too late and your ticking time bomb of a body blows up! And we need products! Products to grow our hair, soften our face, melt the fat, plump our lips, grow our tits, erase scars and stretch marks, make our asses bigger or smaller… because without all these things we are undesirable and therefore not worthy of love.
As we begin to grow, ask questions, and find ourselves as women, everything that makes us happy is somehow wrong…
They say, Be independent, but know your place. Make money, but not too much. Be smart, but not too smart, be strong but not too strong or you’ll be a bitch. If you like sex, you’re a slut, if you drink you’re a lush, if you cut your hair your a dyke, if you like rock n roll and metal obviously you’re on a path to hell. We are told that to be women we need to be the Un-be-able, and because societies view of women is such an unattainable goal… inevitably every women loses.
Before I go on, I must be clear that This post is not about a double standard. This is Not about boys vs girls. Because our boys are taught some pretty warped things too about what it means to be a “man”. This post is about the the history of women, battling social “standards” and the evolution of women as we move forward.
I stand on my meager platform, as a women I have fought to proudly do what I love everyday, I am living proof that it is possible and I am in a rare position to encourage… and empower.
So, Let’s empower, encourage and teach our girls to be strong, to be smart, to be independent, to ask questions, to be tolerant, to be kind, to be fierce, to love, be passionate and to dream. Show them that their beauty lies within their individuality and doing things that truly make them happy. Lets wear sizes that fit us, not try to fit into sizes that society tells us we should be fitting into. Let’s Get dirty, climb trees, be artists, mechanics, scientists, rockstars and presidents. Let’s stop listening to all the things we are supposed to be and truly start being who we are.
We are Women
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