Post election ponderings

Before you jump up and shout "This is not a political blog!" here is my caveat:  You're right.  Now sit down and listen.

This is not a political blog, but everything in life is affected by politics, and we cannot hide our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't. As women, as hunters, as heads of family we have to be aware of what's going on and speak up when it's out of balance. For the sake of keeping this as unpolitical as possible, I won't address the ridiculous law passed in Oklahoma about banning Shariah law.

Instead, I'll just talk about the woman part. The Oklahoma governor race was between two women. I agree that this is great news, but I believe it's sad that we consider this great news. Women still have not reached equality in those areas of life that have historically been considered a man's domain. 

'Outdoor women' is still a fairly new concept in the history of our country. One of my cohorts experienced this yet again when she was shopping for a hunting vest.  Read about her experience in her open letter Message to the Owner over at the WOMA site.

As the nurturers and caregivers we are often disadvantaged in our ability to devote time to leisure or special interest pursuits. It takes time to write that letter to the editor about environmental concerns, it takes time and dedication to show up weekly to lead that Scout troop on a hike, it takes time and some nerve to place yourself in those boys' clubs of hunting and shooting, and it takes time and chutzpah to push through the crowd to make an opening for women to enter comfortably into the world of outdoor pursuits.

I appreciate sites like WOMA and Women's Outdoor News dedicating time to promoting and recognizing women in these areas. I am glad that women will be leading more of our states. But I won't be satisfied until it becomes the norm that we say "the governor", and that we say "that person" hunts, with no deliniation, excitement, or amazement that "the governor", or "that person" is a woman.