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Audacity

On the wall in my apartment is a framed letter from the White House replying to my request for the President to attend my 9th birthday party. Whenever I look at this, I’m reminded that even as a child, I was fearless about writing to strangers on my behalf. It’s a skill that I’ve used successfully in my professional life. And yet, when faced with opening a pump jar of any kind, I’m petrified. Tell me about your audacity.

Illustration by Daisy Emerson

Discussion

12 comments for “Audacity”

  1. Liz says:

    Oh, this is such a fun question, Wendy! Let’s see – in 1976, when I was in sixth grade, I wrote an essay for the town’s “What the Bicentennial Means to Me” contest that was, essentially, a feminist manifesto about the “women behind the men in the history books.” I won the elementary school level award for the town and my essay was published in the town newspaper. Still one of my proudest moments. Even better than when I demanded a raise from my boss 30 years later!

  2. Petra says:

    When I was 10 or 11, I broke the gender barrier at a batting contest. The local team was a AA affiliate of a National League team and they held a batting contest for boys every year. This didn’t sit well with my young feminist self, so I told them it was unfair and I demanded to sign up. You basically had 10 shots at balls pitched by a batting machine. I was terrible–didn’t even make contact until the last pitch. But that wasn’t my intent. Rather, it was to open up the contest to girls!

  3. Leyla says:

    I have the audacity to travel alone and love it!

    • wendy says:

      I’m so impressed by that. I’ve never done it, except on business.

    • Grace says:

      Count me in as another fan of solo travel! I love exploring a new place by myself. I took my first solo trip when I was 26 (I’m 47 now) and it never occurred to me that it was unusual until someone mentioned it.

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