In honor of National Woman’s Day being only a few days ago, I decided to write about girl power. No, this isn’t a feminist rant. It’s about all of the things that I do “like a girl” that make me the strong, confident woman I am today.
I’m fortunate enough to have parents that raised me as an independent girl. Now being in my early 20’s, I’ve become a woman who doesn’t need to rely consistently on a man to get by. The look I get from guys when I say I can change the tires on my car and the break pads on a motorcycle is priceless. I think it’s important that young girls today don’t feel that “like a girl” is an insult.
With a full face of make-up after a long day of shopping, I can come home and help my dad build shelves for a closet. So really, I probably do things like a girl because well, I am a girl. I grew up playing co-ed sports and riding dirt bikes in the back yard. At the same time, today, it still takes me an hour in the morning to get my winged eyeliner just right.
I think girls today feel compelled to fit into one category or the other. Either you’re too girly or you’re not girly enough. We spend so much time trying to figure out who to be when we should be embracing who we are. Instead of being filled with confidence, young girls get shot down by being told everything they do is “like a girl” and they come to think of that negatively. Yet, that doesn’t make us weak. Who says you can’t spend hours debating products at Sephora and be able to debate motorcycles at a bike show?
One side of me loves helping my friends pick out outfits and the other side loves working on projects with my dad. These two sides have created a powerful young woman. I think it’s okay for young women to feel powerful. Often we feel like we shouldn’t be too strong or too confident because we’re supposed to do things “like a girl.” We’re expected to be feminine and quiet but when we decide to embrace a little power it can feel threatening to those who can’t handle it.
When a girl sets her mind to something, she can be as tough as any man. It’s a concept that still feels slightly unaccepted in 2016. However, it’s time that we empower young women instead of putting them down. It’s as simple as showing your daughter how to check the air in her tires and telling her she throws like a confident girl.
