This blog has been playing out in my head for a while now. What better day than Women’s Day to bring it to life?
Recently, a friend asked me, “What could possibly stress you out? Your life seems pretty laid out.” I had no answer then. But a few weeks later, I came across Betty Friedan’s phrase, “A problem that has no name”. In her book, The Feminine Mystique, Friedan describes the sense of alienation and stagnation women feel amidst a seemingly fulfilling life.
“What could possibly stress you out?”
When Friedan said, “I want something more than my husband and my children and my home”, I found her echoing my voice. I know, like me, many women are grappling with this nameless problem. I want to connect with those women, known and unknown, and explore what feminism means to us.
While Friedan described the problem, the solution came from another gritty woman, Araceli Segarra, the mountain climber in the documentary Everest. A quote by Segarra struck me:
“I like to go to the beach and just hang out. But, I prefer climbing mountains. I’m not trying to prove anything. I just love to climb. It’s my passion.”
Like Segarra, I’m pursuing my passion. This blog is a testament to my journey. Choosing to climb mountains means missing out on other things – the beach, for example. But that’s the price I’m willing to pay, it’s the opportunity cost. It’s hard to ignore the opportunity cost, but it’s necessary to solve the problem that has no name. As Segarra said in Everest, “When you look down, you wonder how deep that crevice is. Well, I don’t want to find out.”
Happy Women’s Day! Let’s celebrate our passions and the strength it takes to pursue them. I invite you to follow my journey — I’m sure you’ll see some footprints of your own and find the courage to keep moving forward.
