Lightning Rods
Jane Fonda has been making the rounds of TV news shows talking about her autobiography that just came out, My Life So Far. Tim Russert interviewed her for an hour this last weekend. Two things that she said about herself struck me as particularly intriguing. First, in describing herself as a feminist Christian, she noted that Americans really don’t know what to do with strong women — especially Christian Americans, I might add. It’s really not that way in many other places in the world. A European-born friend of mine told me that she didn’t know that she was a second-class citizen until she moved to the United States.
Secondly, Jane said she realized that she was a lightning rod for strongly expressed opinions about unpopular positions she has taken in the past. I think all that strong women have to do is speak their minds, be who they really are, and they will just naturally be lightning rods. My wife is one, and it’s not like she has to say very much. All she has to do is point out the logical, negative repercussions of some man’s suppositions, and, oooh, she takes on some long-term dangerous aura.
I really like strong women, and I especially admire them when their lightning-rod characteristics don’t bother them at all.
I am an active reader of this blog site and I’ve finally decided to post. The “Biblical Support for Positions,” and the “Lightning Rod” are the blogs that have made the biggest impact on me.
I love teaching and consider my classroom my ministry. God allows me to see students through His eyes and because of this, I go the extra mile when teaching. I go to work early, stay late, and academically push students to be the best that they can. I am more “at home” in my classroom than anywhere else. However, I feel like I spend most of my time with other professionals apologizing for my “passion” and dedication to teaching. Somehow, my enthusiasm seems weird—misplaced at best—to many of those who teach around me. I think they often see me as a work-aholic who has nothing better to do, mainly because I don’t have children of my own. I frequently get the sensation they feel sorry for me, and that my Christian female acquaintances, in particular secretly pray that I’ll have kids so I can focus my passion in the way it “should” be.
The worst part about this is that I unwittingly, make others uncomfortable. I’ve realized lately that the sarcastic remarks I get are a way that others deal with comparing themselves to me. I hope that doesn’t sound egocentric, but others usually make fun of me—my organization and my strong need to be prepared, or my logic (often considered male characteristics)—because they think I judge them because they’re not like me. When this is not true. I am the way I am because its who I am. I don’t judge others for not being like me. Basically they’re highlighting the face that I’m different, but doing it junior-high style—where I’m being pulled down in order to make someone else feel better.
I ran across a quote the other day that intrigued me and scared me. “We do not change as we grow older, we just become more clearly ourselves.” While I am comfortable with who I’m becoming, I feel that I apologize more and more as I get older for just being me.
While these thoughts are not cohesive, they are my thoughts. Thanks for listening.