Playing like a girl ...
... is perfectly alright because girls (and women) play just as hard as men do.
We see that when they get a chance to shine: encouragement and not discouragement from getting sweaty, places to train, funding and scholarships equal to what boys get, etc.
Which brings us to the Olympics and the latest effort from the Vancouver-based Antigone Foundation. Every year they put out a "Dreams for Women'' calendar. But this year, it's a special sporting edition.
Female athletes from the US, Canada and the First Nations include (note the boldface):
- US Figure Skater Ashley Wagner who declares “I dream of a world where the only bruises women receive occur during friendly competition.”
- US Luge Team athlete Julia Clukey, “I dream of a world where girls don’t calculate what the mirror can show but rather create and build a body of strength, power and work.”
- Canadian Ski Jumper Katie Willis with her Canadian Ski Jump team-mates (who are not allowed to compete in the 2010 Games), “We dream all women will soar.”
- Vice President of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Olympic medalist speed skater Cathy Priestner-Allinger, “I dream of a world where women are front page, not centerfolds.”
- Angela Ruggiero, US Olympic medalist & hockey player, “I dream of a day when all women will know that there are no boundaries, only dreams to be reached.”
Talk about your Olympic hopes:
Love it Antonia, mised you the last week. I hope your mother is feeling better. Thank you for sharing these most insightful and profound messages. Yeah, I love competition where we do not have brutality as the centerpiece of the function.
Posted by: JR Jake | February 22, 2010 at 08:31 PM
It sounds like they are all dreaming of an inverted Maslow's pyramid, maybe something along these lines: http://rlv.zcache.com/alice_cooper_welcome_to_my_nightmare_cover_button-p145280264271145979qd2b_400.jpg
Posted by: Jim M | February 23, 2010 at 03:41 AM