It's been a long time since I've written a diary, but there's a story in the sports world that's motivating me to write. Jonathan Martin has sought treatment after claiming that he was bullied as a member of the Dolphins. Some of the accusations are quite ugly and I know that I would definitely struggle with enduring abuse of the kind that's being mentioned. I don't know all the details, but it has me concerned.
But I'd like to take a slightly different angle. One of the techniques for capturing great photos is to photograph people's reactions to some exciting event. Similarly, I'd like to look at the reaction that many are having. I really dislike how people associate femininity with weakness. You hear it all the time. They'll say, "put a skirt on the QB," to say that the rules protecting quarterbacks are too strict. To that I say, my mother was a tougher woman than most of those football players. She was born in India and loved caring for people so she dreamed of becoming a doctor in a society where most women don't get educated. She studied medicine in Germany and was successful even though she didn't speak a word of German when she started her classes. She came to America and practiced medicine for over 30 years even though she struggled with breast cancer and being run over by a drunk driver. Oh and, of course, she was an incredible mom.
Being a cro-magnon has nothing to do with strength or masculinity. In fact, it's weakness. True strength nurtures and knows that the more that everyone thrives the better.
We need to stop with speaking in these terms. It's insulting to so many amazing women who've done incredible things with their lives.