Women
On April 6, I turn 52.
And I plan to run a half-marathon in Central Park with at least 5000 other women who are over 40. Some of them will run a full marathon.
Just the other day, I came upon a quotation:
“The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that…women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves.”
—Louise Otto, an advocate for her gender in the 19th century
It seems simple, but its relevance really struck me. Women exist in a every culture, every race, every class, every age group, every religion—yet so often the culture or the race or the religion gets top billing—and the women fall in line as members. And they forget to think about themselves—or they put themselves on the back burner.
It’s happening now in the primaries.
And often when we stand up and claim an identity—we are characterized as humorless crybabies.
The women I know are strong and full of laughter. They take on challenges and face them.
I am looking forward to a Sunday in New York City full of that spirit.
Comments
Oh—what a great line about the balance between self-effacing and self-erasing. I love it! There were 8,000 women at Central Park on April 6, and I completed my 13.1 miles. Thanks for writing, and thanks for the encouragement. I’ll be curious to see/hear more about why the Otto quote speaks to you.
Jan Apr 8, 09:03 pm
Commenting is closed for this article.
Happy Birthday, Jan!
The Louise Otto quote is tailor-made for some things I’ve been thinking about lately. It’s hard to find a balance between being self-effacing and self-erasing.
Run hard today.
Jane Kokernak Apr 6, 11:53 am