Red Ajah's International Women's Week - Who Inspires You?!?!

[Veranza]

Welcome one and all to International Women's Week 2011 by the Red Ajah. My name is Veranza and I will be monitoring "Who Inspires You"! For the next two week we will be discussing what women have inspired you in your life, love, career, education and however in your life. Many of us have had more than one women inspire us throughout our lives, but let us start out slow and go with one at a time.

 

I will start and state that the first woman that ever inspired me to do better was Janet Evans, Olympic Swimmer. I started swimming competitively at age 4 and I remember in 1988 watching her at age 7, in Seoul winning 3 gold medal and than again in 1992 in Spain with a gold and a silver. She has 26 medals to her name, throughout Olympic games, World Championships and Pan Pacific Championships. There are only two swimmers in the world that hold more national titles than her; Michael Phelps and Tracy Caulkins. Her specialty was distance freestyle, but her form was less than perfect, giving her the nickname "Miss Perpetual Motion". She did not have the perfect swimming body type and she stood up for her belief in "no-drugs" in games. Her undying commitment that my imperfections made me special and I could continue with swimming even though I was not perfect. Her dedication, although not directly with me, help direct me to collegiate swimming. I hold 7 University swimming at the University of Charleston in WV.

 

So let us get this rolling and hear about the women that have inspired you in your life!!!!

[LisaMetzelBonnet]

There are so many women that inspire me. I think the one who inspires me the most is my birth mother. I don't know her at all, but she is the strongest woman! She got pregnant when she was 14/15 in a one-time consensual encounter. Her parents were extremely religious (kinda nutty, actually) and sent her to live with her pastor's wife's aunt in a state very very far away. At 15! When she finally gave birth to me she had to hold me in her arms and place me in the arms of the social worker. I am just amazed that a 15 year old girl, living so far away from home, would make a decision so incredibly selfless.

 

When her strength hit home for me was when my oldest child was born. When the nurse put him in my arms I thought, "there is no way I could let this baby go. Someone would have to kill me to take him from me." She loved me enough and was wise enough to let me go and I had a good childhood. My parents love me and I love them. I have the life that I do because of the love and wisdom of my birth mother.

[Mendorah]

There are many women who have inspired me over the years, but the first one who I was really gobsmacked by was Dian Fossey. She was such a determined and amazing woman and she ultimately died for her cause. I also greatly admire Jane Goodall who continues her work with chimpanzees and who is such a graceful, amazing lady. And then, of course, there's Queen Elizabeth I. Good Gods that woman was Awesome!

[Veranza]

There are many women who have inspired me over the years, but the first one who I was really gobsmacked by was Dian Fossey. She was such a determined and amazing woman and she ultimately died for her cause. I also greatly admire Jane Goodall who continues her work with chimpanzees and who is such a graceful, amazing lady. And then, of course, there's Queen Elizabeth I. Good Gods that woman was Awesome!

 

 

Mendorah....why do these women inspire you? I would love to know the reasoning behind them.

[poetstorm]

Oh, who to choose?? Well I'll start with Mother Theresa for her devotion and selfless spirit as well as her words of wisdom and love. She has been one of my favorite women since I was a little girl.

 

I also find Joan of Arc inspiring. Though some say she was crazy, and maybe she was, I admire her ability to stick to her guns when all around her were trying to convince her otherwise, and for not being afraid to stand out and be an individual.

 

I admire Helen Keller for overcoming the adversities she was born with. Being legally blind myself I feel a sort of kinship there though her challenges were much, much greater.

 

I admire all the women in the 40's who rolled up their sleeves and went to work doing things that were ordinarily a man's job to keep the country running. Risie the Riveter rocks! ^^

[Nyanna al'Meara]

Oh, who to choose?? Well I'll start with Mother Theresa for her devotion and selfless spirit as well as her words of wisdom and love. She has been one of my favorite women since I was a little girl.

 

 

Yes, Mother Theresa was a truly great woman! She was really something special. I would love to meet her - one would learn a great lot from her!

 

 

I also find Joan of Arc inspiring. Though some say she was crazy, and maybe she was, I admire her ability to stick to her guns when all around her were trying to convince her otherwise, and for not being afraid to stand out and be an individual.

 

 

Awh, you bet me to it!! ;) I was going to post about her when I had time this afternoon. Jean D'Arc/Johanna Of New Orleans (btw I was named after her), has been one if not my fav women of great achievements. I admire all 'swordmaidens' anyway, (if I was born in the Middle Ages I would definitely try to be!! xD )and this is one who isn't just a film character. As a peasant girl, she achieved a HEAP of stuff that 'ordinary' woman could have done without her strength and courage in that time. Even if she was mad with visions she says she had from God.

[Moon Sedai]

I'm inspired by my mother's successful struggle to quit drinking.

I am inspired by my Aunt Julie. She is the only person in my family to ever get a doctorate, (in Education).

I am inspired by my Granny. She shot an ex-husband for tresspassing, and at age 83 beat up a man who tried to assault her. It made it on the news.

I hope I'm half that feisty in my 80s.

I'm inspired by my History Professor, and mentor, Dr. Howard. She encouraged me to pursue women's studies.

I'm inspired by my mother-in-law. She's a breast cancer survivor.

 

I am inspired by a number of awesome ladies.

[Tynaal Consen]

If were ever to strive to be like someone it would be like an older lady I know who through the years has been a better gran to me than my own gran. She is feisty, never shuts her mouth for anyone, works hard, laughs and is simply good. She is 75 or so and takes interest in what teenagers these days like so she can choose nice presents for us. She goes to an old age home and spends time with those that have no one else and just gives them that little bit more at the end of their lives. I hope that I might be nearly half so self-sacrificing one day.

 

Another woman who inspires me is a family friend who is originally from England and built up a farming empire here in SOuth AFrica with hatred and ostracism. And even though they were English people surrounded by Boere in an Afrikaans Apartheid scheme, never once did the let them destroy her or her husbands passion and dreams.

[Veranza]

There are a lot of women in the world that inspire all of us. I have to agree with the Mother Theresa shoot outs. As for family members that have inspired me, my step-mom, or mommy as I call her, gives me the most inspiration. She took me in as her own daughter when she married my dad when I was 3. I even look like her so it makes my life so awesome. Her family took me in as their own, because family is no always about blood. And even though the marriage to my father sucked (my dad is a jerk... well, more than a jerk but this is PG-13), she still sees me as hers.

[theicewitch]

I am not a person who suffers from or has heroes but I do have great respect and esteem for people.

 

 

As a young artist I was taken by the works of Georgia O'Keefe.

As a woman I have respect for all the women who paved my way.

 

To say I was inspired by any one woman more than another, I could not. I am a product of them all.

[jen_jen]

Unfortunately, most of the women who have had a direct impact on my life have served as negative influences. I am very much like Ice, and can't be inspired by distant figures (although I can admire their actions) because I am all to aware how human we all are. Distant public or historic figures may in fact be horrible people, in spite of their public persona or behavior. So, ironically, it's the people who have let me down who have inspired my the most - to not be someone I could not love or respect! A smart man learns from his own mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

 

that being said, I am not enirely uninspired by women I know! I am truly inspired by my daughter for her courage, confidence, and strength, and my mother-in-law who radiates a serenity I hope to achieve in my lifetime.

[theicewitch]

you stated that perfectly mama.

[Mendorah]

 

I am inspired by my Granny. She shot an ex-husband for tresspassing, and at age 83 beat up a man who tried to assault her. It made it on the news.

I hope I'm half that feisty in my 80s.

 

 

Made Of Awesome!!!! I love feisty old ladies!

[Mendorah]

 

Mendorah....why do these women inspire you? I would love to know the reasoning behind them.

 

Dian Fossey was a nobody when she went to Africa. She wanted to study Gorillas and nobody would listen to her. She didn't have the right degree, she was just a secretary type. But she wanted to study the gorillas and once she got to Africa, she stayed there to protect them from poachers, often times practically by herself. She forged relationships with those silver backed gorillas and learned a lot about them. She did a lot to slow down poaching. It was ultimately poachers who killed her and her guides/body guards. They beheaded her just like they do the gorillas when they poach them. She was a bit of a witch with a capital B, but it was because she was so focused and so determined. Though I don't condone her kind of aggressive behavior over all, in a land where women were not respected at all, that kind of behavior was necessary. Unfortunately, it is also likely why she was killed so brutally. I admire her because I'm the kind of person who is passionate about causes. And when I feel like I might give up on the issue, I remember that I'm lucky my cause won't call for me to be killed. And therefore I have no excuse to say "it's hard."

 

Jane Goodall is inspirational to me because the work she does with chimps is in behavioral study. Much like Dian Fossey. But she's taught us much more than Dian did. She has shown an instinct in understanding chimp behavior and in her work those of us who care about animal behavior in general can learn so much. In fact, those of us who care about child behavior can also learn so much. My work with abandoned and abused animals has shown many parallels with my sister's work with abandoned and abused children. And it is Jane Goodall (and Dian Fossey) who fostered the interest in me to have these theories and seek these connections.