REI has put out a campaign recently – called
Force of Nature. This campaign works to create equality for women in the outdoors. I
have always tended on the side of feminism, so when I first saw this campaign,
I was stoked.
Stoked to see women getting inspired outdoors. Since I have
always felt most inspired and empowered outdoors.
While I am always excited to see women feel empowered, there
is still a little confusion regarding this campaign for me…
When I look at REI’s Instagram account, I do not see a
single photo with a man in it since they launched the campaign in early April. While
I do believe that women can empower each other greatly, and that we all have a
lot of fun together, I still can’t help but feel like the men in all of our
lives are getting left out of the picture (literally…).
I LOVE the women in my life that make me feel inspired. My
mother has been my biggest source of inspiration since I was a little girl. I
have always looked to her to see how to present myself with dignity and how to
keep a badass approach to life.
But what about the men in my life?
Sure, I joke about men being so impossible when I’m
complaining about dating struggles with my girlfriends… But that doesn’t mean
that the men in my life haven’t been critical to my strength as a woman.
What about my grandfather? Who told me to pull myself up by
my bootstraps when I got thrown off a horse as a little girl. At the time,
getting up off the ground felt like too big of a task, but when he chuckled and
casually told me to get back on the horse, it suddenly felt so humorously possible.
What about my father? Who made sure to take the time to
raise me to be independent – showing me how to maintain my vehicle, how to chop
wood, cook healthy food, start a fire, and taught me that there’s nothing more
dangerous than a dull knife.
What about my brother? Who can always tell when I’m down and
knows exactly what I need – placing his hand gently on my back and asking if I
want to talk about it.
What about all of my male friends? The ones who have taught
me to climb and surf and find new ways of fun outdoors. The ones always behind the camera, capturing my big moments. They have always taken
me with them, even though I am not always able to “keep up”. They wait patiently
for me to gather myself and help me push past my fears – cheering and
celebrating louder than anyone when I finally succeed.
What about the men I have dated? Teaching me how to still be
myself in a relationship. How important it is to love myself before someone
else can love me. Showing me how beautiful I am, even when I couldn’t see it
myself. Showing me how capable I am, by not letting me quit when things get
tough or scary.
I thoroughly believe in women bonding together, working
together to empower and inspire one another. But let’s not forget about the men
who have seen us on the ground, covered in dirt, and feeling powerless, but who
have taken the time to tell us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and get
back on the horse. The men who have seen us scared, and told us to keep trying
anyway. The men who have made us feel more loved and inspired than we could have ever
imagined.
Because, to me, women getting together without any men is
not equality. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
When we’re adventuring with men and women…
When we’re inspired by both men and women…
When we’re told to “rub some dirt on it and give it another
go” by the men in our lives…
that’s when real equality happens.
