She Dared : Women's Stories Inspire a Generation

     Sitting on a shelf in a little, quiet library is a book that inspired a little girl many, many years ago.  She dreamed of becoming a doctor, someone who would help people in need,  give them comfort,  and hope when there seemed to be no hope to be found.   As her interest grew in wanting to pursue that path,  she went to the library to find a book or two on what it takes to become a doctor.  As look would have it,  in the biography section of the children's section there was a  blue book titled: The First Woman Doctor.  Putting aside the other books, she took the book down and began to read.  Doctor Elizabeth Blackwell inspired her tremendously. It had never occurred to her that someone would not be allowed to study to become a Doctor just because they were a woman.   The questions began forming in her mind,  what other things were women not allowed to do? 

    Years later,  the book is still an inspiration.  Yes,  the little girl did go on to college eventually but not for medical science.   For library science instead.   The obstacles to becoming a doctor were not as great as Dr. Blackwell had but there was one tiny hurdle that the little girl could never quite get over.  The sight of of blood is not an appealing sight or smell.   To be totally honest biology was not one of the strongest of subjects and labs were the least favorite activities.  Formaldehyde was another not so pleasant smell. However, that is a story for another time.  Instead of helping others with their medical problems the path she chose looked a bit different than anticipated.   In her mind,  the place were she belonged was the library not the lab.  

    Why bring up the nostalgia of books past that made a difference in a ordinary girl's life?   The book that sat on the shelf was not particularly stunning.  The cover art was plain.  The writer had style but by no stretch of the imagination did she compare to  Jane Austen or Agatha Christie.  The story that was told was true, engaging and inspirational.  Enough to keep a ten year old to read it from cover to cover without being ordered to by a teacher;  Blackwell's life was interesting and to become the "first doctor" made a path for little girls for generations to pursue their dreams to become a doctor.  This is the true beauty of biographies are meant to introduce readers to people they would never have a chance to meet.  Regardless, of whether the reader chooses similar paths as the person in the biography or not,  the biography inspires each reader to reach their own potential in their own way.   This particular biography is today's subject not because of the classic writing but because of today's celebration of International Woman's Day. 

    Young girls today have plenty of opportunities to read about the trailblazing women of yesterday.  Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell is just one example.  Others that come to mind are  Amelia Earhart,  Florence Nightingale,  Susan B. Anthony, Mother Theresa  and so many others.  Each of these women's story is different but they each have one thing in common.  They DARED.  They dared to be different.  They dared to follow their dreams.   They dared to be the change in their world.  Without their mark on the world, there would not be books to be written on their heroic attempts.  No inspiration draw upon for little girls.   On this International Women's Day 2021,  a shout out to all the women who have challenged the status quo,  passing the torch on to women today daring us to keep the torch lit for the next generation.