Iron jawed angels

I love being a woman. I love my role in life. I love the quiet strength that women have always had, to do what needs to be done in their lives. I love hearing stories of strong women. It inspires me. It makes me feel like I can handle whatever comes my way. I have said this before. So I guess that would explain why I have been called a feminist on occasion. I have always found that strange. I never understood why someone would view me that way. I mean, other than the fact that in high school, I walked around with a back pack that I had written on in large letters, "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" (I see how that could give someone the wrong idea, but that was just my silent opposition to the girls that always seemed to need a boyfriend to have fun in high school.)
Beyond my little back pack statements, I think feminism was not in my life. I really thought feminist had a bad connotation to it, like someone who is anti-man, or anti-family, or anti what I feel is my divine role and purpose. I have been secretly offended when someone has called me a feminist.
But recently I read about some historical "feminists" . The suffragists. A read up on Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, the two women mainly responsible for making it a constitutional right that I have a voice.
I read what they went thru to make it that I was born with equal rights: unconstitutional imprisonment, force feeding, and torture. I watched the movie iron jawed angels, and felt inspired by their ability to stay their course. I realized how much I take for granted living in the day and age I live in. I am a citizen of a free country that has listened to my voice since I was born. And in the past I have honored all the men that have fought and died to make this country free, I have never honored those women who fought to see that I have my civil liberties. I don't know why I never learned about this in history. I guess it's rather likely that I was absent that day. Actually it's more than likely.


I guess my point is that I think I would no longer offended if someone were to call me that. Because it means to me that I am a woman who is proud to be a woman. And that I believe that women are strong and powerful and good and kind and nurturing and giving.... and I believe that our voice matters.
So who wouldn't want to be a feminist?