Every now and then your mother flashes you a look that's priceless. A little bit of fear, a little bit of horror and a glimmer of anger masked by an ever-so-slight veil of amusement. Those looks are priceless. My mom always knows exactly what I'm thinking. At times, even before I say it. It's a subconscious connection that amazes me. We search our whole lives for a God like figure who will explain the world to us. A "daddy in the sky", if you will, but a mother is the closest thing I've ever found.
Mom's looks are always priceless, but last night my mom gave me a doozy. Apparently I hadn't packed enough into my day. I'd edited photos, listed 20+ items into my eBay store, drove to Bellingham and packed my orders, ran 2.6 miles at Lake Padden, mowed my parent's lawn... and then I sat down for dinner and the discussion of equality came up. Men are probably not the best people to stand up for women's rights right now. In the midst of the current Me Too, cancel culture, Trump administration, we've taken our lumps the last couple years. Luckily, life moves on and each day I'm continually blessed with new and interesting opportunities. Life is good. Or, as they say, life is beautiful! That's what I keep telling myself when I wake up each morning. Affirmations of gratitude are all the rage and I've jumped on that bandwagon. Why not, right?
But every now and then there's an discussion worth having. A discussion that moves society forward toward equality. There was the civil rights movement that started in the 1940s and supposedly ended in the 60s, yet Black Lives Matter reminds us that fight is far from over. Countless young black men are continued to be unjustly slain and the news videos are horrific. It's all too real.
There was Mr. Colin Kaepernick's decision to shock the nation by taking a knee during the Star Spangled Banner prior to an NFL football game. It shocked many and he was essentially run out of the NFL. Some argue that he was just an average quarterback whose career ran its course, but anyone who really watched his run to the Super Bowl knows better. Don't worry, Nike made it right. He's doing fine. Better than ever. He has continued his endorsement deal with Nike since it was signed in 2011. He released a new ad campaign in 2018 and will reportedly even have his own branded line. His jersey is still a top 50 best seller. I imagine young Kap sits at home admiring all the zeros in his bank account as he gives affirmations of gratitude for not having to potentially get concussed by 300-pound men on the gridiron anymore. Life always comes down to a matter of perspective. His latest campaign slogan is right on point. He truly did believe in something and sacrificed everything. Any person who does that should be admired.
And then there's the Woman's right to vote movement that occurred in the 1920s with the 19th amendment. Today's Me Too movement reminds us again that the fight for equality is riddled with speed bumps and sometimes the mighty must fall. Your heroes can quickly turn to villains, get locked up and stop making cute tv shows with little children while promoting delicious Jello pudding pops on the side. Life reminds us, yet again, that it truly is stranger than fiction. You know, Cosby's behind bars, Bruce becomes Caitlyn, Trump becomes President and that one handsome former pro wrestler with a flair for eyebrow raises, suddenly picks up some acting chops and works his way to being the world's highest grossing movie star.
We're living in strange days, but history can still teach us a few things. In 1973, some 90 million people around the world watched 29-year-old tennis player Billie Jean King beat 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in a straight sets "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. Every so often a moment occurs that may not seem significant at the time, yet it cumulatively has its impact on society over time. A year before that infamous match, in 1972, Title XI helped provide equity in athletics and females were finally offered the same number of extra curricular sport offerings as their male counterparts. Some argue that men's athletics programs were cut to make way for the women and males suffered, yet women progressed and society eventually accepted the change.
So when to topic of equal pay for male and female World Cup soccer athletes came up at the dinner table, I decided to chime up and say, "I think they should get paid the same." Looking back, to pay them the same won't happen for some time, but to take another step toward equality isn't out of the question. When comparing men's and women's World Cup tourneys, the money discrepancy is hard to deny. Really, it's comparing apples to oranges. From what I've read, the women generate hundreds of millions and the men bring in multiple billions. Point is, FIFA makes a lot of money off World Cup soccer. So, when US World Cup soccer star Megan Rapinoe stepped up to the podium to give her speech greeted by chants of "equal pay" after the women won the World Cup, it was easy to sit back in my armchair and tell FIFA to "pay them". Looking at all the pay discrepancy charts out there on the internet, I'm sure the financial breakdown is far more complicated than it appears. When it comes to money, it's always complicated. Of course, any employee who performs well will push for a raise at the height of their performance levels. It's to be expected. Rapinoe, had her platform and she took her shot. Atta girl.
I guess the point of this blog is that change doesn't occur without discussion. It's okay to think about these things without all the facts and then gather them later to try and make sense of it. We're tribal individuals by nature and it's okay for men to tip toe into the woman's tribe every now and then to make sure everything is okay. Men are being forced to take those steps more than ever right now. The country is led by tweet friendly, former reality star entertainer, who seems to prefer to communicate to us from behind the screen of his phone. Hey, who am I to judge. I make a living behind a computer screen too. Everyone has their safe space. I see a world where women seek Facebook likes and IG love to feel valued. It's weird. But they also still want their piece of the pie. The American dream has been blessed with recent World Cup championships and a portion of that almighty dollar should trickle down onto the backs of the women who earn them. It's only fair. These moments in history might not seem like a step toward improving humanity now, but 20 years from now they will. Just ask Billie Jean King. The women's movement didn't start in the 70s with Title XI and a celebrity tennis match, but it didn't hurt. The true "Battle of the Sexes" is far from over. It's just begun.
