#likeagirl

Us Ruiz's watched the Super Bowl tonight.  Okay, honestly, I just ate chicken wings and casually glanced at the TV every so often.  But when the half time show came on I perked up a little to watch the circus that is a Katy Perry performance.  This meant I was still all eyes and ears when the commercials came on following the show.  And maybe I'll be embarrassed for admitting this tomorrow, or in a few weeks from now, but right now I need to blurt out the things that I'm feeling after watching this commercial (okay, you caught me, this is the longer version, but it's so good):

As far back as I can remember I've always known that doing something "like a girl" was an insult.  As a little 6 year old girl joining in to play soccer with the boys at recess, I quickly picked up that doing such-and-such "like a girl" meant they did such-and-such poorly.  And as that 6 year old girl, I knew if I wanted to do something right or well, I needed to do it any way than "like a girl."

Ultimately, this made me want to be a boy, or to do things "like a boy."  If I played house or any sort of make-believe game, I was a boy.  As a blossoming perfectionist it only made sense that I needed to keep away from being too much of a girl.

Then puberty came along, nasty, vile puberty.  All those years of playing football at recess ended with me suddenly being forced to accept that I was, in fact, a girl, and I needed to start acting like one.  Because, although girls couldn't do things well, boys were attracted to that quality in them.  Thus followed the long years of desperately wishing to do my best, to not do things "like a girl," yet wanting to fit in, to have boys like me.

Eventually I just surrendered.  I openly used the saying to mock myself, or to even mock a boy who may have made a bad throw.  And this only made me dislike the fact that I was a girl even more.

Perhaps you even remember this post explaining how distraught I was over being told I was going to have a baby girl.  Well, that little girl was crawling at my feet while I watched that commercial.  And seeing her, completely obliviously to the fact that someday her own gender could be used as an insult against her, made me tear up.  So I slinked out of the room, because I didn't want to start crying "like a girl" in front of everyone.

When did doing something "like a girl" become something so negative?  Obviously, as you just read, I'm completely guilty of this way of thinking.  And it needs to change.  Because if Sheriff hears me saying "like a girl" to demean or insult, what am I going to be teaching her?  I want her to grow up knowing that to do something "like a girl" is just as good as doing it any other way.  I want the saying "like a girl" to be synonymous in her mind with "doing her best" or "like a pro!"  

So what better place is there to start in teaching her this than with my own accomplishments.

I played peewee football in grade six #likeagirl.  I did my very best at every practice and game and am still, to this day, so proud of the fact I can say I played football.

I tied one of my best friends as valedictorian for our graduation, where we addressed our convocation ceremony together, #likeagirl.  Following graduation, my good friend was crowned valedictorian, and I, class historian.  Being smart, #likeagirl, and studying hard, #likeagirl, was what paid for nearly all of my post-secondary education.

I have competed in numerous long distance races and triathlons #likeagirl.  In fact, my best documented time for a 10 km is 46 minutes #likeagirl.  I've also completed an Olympic triathlon #likeagirl, which means I swam 1.5km, biked 40km and then ran 10km consecutively, without stopping.  I have also ran a half-marathon #likeagirl, coming in with a time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.

I've done numerous hikes in Waterton #likeagirl all by myself.  In fact, once I climbed Bear's Hump in the dark, #likeagirl, by myself.  I would carry bear spray and only came close to needing to use it once. One of my favourite days in Waterton was when I completed "The Triple Crown" in one day, #likeagirl.  This means I did 3 hikes, a combined 56 km, in roughly 16 hours #likeagirl.

Shortly after being married, I was diagnosed with Depression.  It was literally the hardest thing I have ever passed through, yet I did it, and I did it #likeagirl.  Although I can honestly say that Depression does suck, I can also honestly say, that Depression is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.  It has helped refine me into a much more compassionate and loving person, and also taught me that I can do very hard things #likeagirl.

Last June I gave birth to a 9 lbs 7 oz baby naturally, #likeagirl.  It was one of the most invigorating and empowering experiences of my life, and it's literally something that can ONLY be done #likeagirl.

I hope this didn't come off as being bragging or egotistical.  I'm just trying to start with myself in proving that doing things #likeagirl can be doing things in the most awesome way possible.  Because that is how I did it.