For all the nay-sayers

A couple of weeks ago, at the behest of my father, I spoke with a family friend that has quite a bit of experience in higher education. After speaking with him I was very deflated and confused and questioning all my plans and interests. And then, I didn't get into U of Cincinnati. I wasn't crushed but I was upset. I doubted my plans even more. Was what our family friend told me true? I wondered if that was partly due to my research interest - the lives of Mormon women and how they fit/do they fit into the context of the feminist tradition. I've talked with many people about this, Mormons and non-Mormons alike, and most people (well, women actually) find it an interesting topic. In one conversation, a friend said the biggest hurdle between traditional (i would say stereotypical) feminism and LDS women is the simple fact that in the LDS culture and religion the idea of a patriarchal social and religious hierarchy wasn't a bad thing. And to a certain extent that's true. I think the LDS version of patriarchy is different, at least as I understand it, from what main stream society and feminism understands. It's such an interesting idea. Can a woman be a part of a patriarchal system....not only be a part of but support and sustain the patriarchal hierarchy and still be a feminist? I think so but I know many people, on both sides of the issue, don't agree.

Anyway, that's just a huge tangent...let's just get back to my main point. So I was doubting and second guessing myself and wondering, what in the world am I going to do??? Then out of the blue - validation. I was looking up some information on the Sarah Lawrence website for my application and I was looking over the list of past MA Theses topics and what do you think is on the top of the list for the graduating class of 2008? By a Ms. Caroline Bitter Evolution into Self: A Mormon Woman's Struggle to Reconcile Radical Feminism and Religion. Um...hello? I know many people, and I hate to say it - men, don't understand why I'm interested in this. My father once asked me if I actually thought people would be interested in this topic - if I could find a program that could and would support it. This just proves to me that I can do this! I'm not strange and weird and the only one that has gone through this. Reading that was like a gift. It told me not to get swayed but the many different opinions that are being pushed on me. I need to stand firm. This is something that I have been thinking about for three years. Three years! I can and will do this.

watch....now I won't get into Sarah Lawrence....knock on wood!