It's very hard to be both insulted and empowered at the same time. I am sitting here watching the U.S. Open. I have to put the caveat out that I am not a sports person. Never have been. I totally faked it when I was a kid. I ran track (hated it). Played basketball (sucked at it). Went to football games (cute guys--I could handle that). However, I am a fan of sports and I will watch any game even if I don't understand it.
That said.
I am watching the tennis matches because I have a reason to for work (I won't bore you with it). The guys take medical time outs. They get testy. They play a decent game.
Tonight the girls are on. And I call them girls in the best sense of the word. The commentators have talked about their games and their strength and their skill. But they also talk about their outfits, their hair, their relationships and their jewelry. At first I was insulted.
But then I became empowered. Guess what--relationships are important. Justine and Serena are much more than just tennis players. They are human beings with lives beyond the tennis courts. And those lovely lives should be honored. Personality is important. So Serena's dress is by Nike. Those earrings on the other hand are totally, 100% Serena. She is true to herself in the work that she does and how she presents herself. And those commentators better talk about it dammit. She works too hard.
It would be very clique to say that the guys couldn't play a good game of Monopoly if they had to do it with a skirt on and a pair of boobs but, truth be told, they probably couldn't. Women atheletes are a different breed. They make it work. They make it happen. And they make me really proud.
I will be wearing a long pair of silver earrings to work tomorrow in honor of Serena. I don't care if she wins.
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