"Like a Girl"

Growing up with three brothers made it fairly evident that there were many things that I could not do, simply because I wasn't as strong as them. I wasn't as good at wrestling, for instance, or other things that required a lot of upper body strength. I remember, after an argument with one of my brothers, I punched him between the legs as hard as I could. After a pause in which he utterly failed to collapse, I ran and hid behind mom because even though I obviously hadn't hurt him, I had rather ticked him off.

I remember being told that I did things "like a girl" with the phrase being said in a tone that indicated the speaker's derision. In P.E. in sixth grade, we were idly tossing baseballs one day while waiting on our coach to give us instructions. I threw the ball as best as I knew how (I have never had much experience throwing balls - my milieu was kicking them. In soccer!) and one of the girls in our class called out, "Geez, you throw like a GIRL!"

I was humiliated.

And why? I AM a girl. Yet I was taught, by my interactions with my family and the people around me, that I was less than.

And damn it, it still pisses me off!

I'm grateful that there are campaigns like the Always one (link below) that is striving to teach us girls to remember our power, our WORTH! I encourage you to watch: When Did "Like a Girl" Become an Insult? 

Don't shame someone for being what they are. It's like telling a door that it's dumb because it's a door and doesn't turn on like a lamp does. The function is completely different.

All rights to Always for their ad. And THANK YOU, Always!!