RBG in my Reflection
I saw my reflection staring back at me this week on what felt like the 40th zoom call this week. My hair was parted down the middle in a low ponytail bun with enormous glasses frames and little to zero make-up, maybe a lip stain of a more neutral tone and some blush but that is about it.
The call had turned to a question of comparing ourselves to others - which seems to come up on a zoom call at least once a week if not more. And to this I often respond how we can compare or choose to be inspired by someone and therefore explore the concept of role modeling and practicing the evolutions of self with human connection always at play.
As I saw myself saying this, out of my peripheral vision is a Ruth Bader Ginsburg Christmas ornament that never made it into the Christmas ornament organization boxes (yes, I have those). As I scan 7 inches up there is a Ruth Bader Ginsburg coffee mug that now leaks that I have been meaning to plant a succulent in but haven't yet. And over to the right about 13 inches is a Ruth Bader Gisburg book. And if I turn all the way to the right corner of my shed office, there is a Ruther Bader Ginsburg quote hanging from the wall next to a window overlooking my overgrown and wild backyard full of rocks and weeds that to me still look beautiful. The quote reads ‘Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
And I glance back at the video of myself staring back at...well, myself. And I literally look like Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The hair, the glasses, the less make up, and the make a point earrings that perhaps she never wore as big but could be likened to her badass gloves or adorned judicial collar.
Oh my God, i have morphed into a daily Halloween costume of RBG.
And I had not noticed until that exact day. I was always a little surprised by the low ponytail bun thing I kept choosing but had figured when I cut 7 inches off of my hair, this was the only way to pull it back now. In all my days, I always had the high top knots.
And I love big ass glasses but these feel very specific. And there was a sudden shift recently from bright red lip stain to a more muted natural vibration.
And while I know I am not going back to school to become a lawyer by any means, much less be chosen to sit on the Supreme court - there is a reckoning of sorts as I can’t unsee what I have seen.
I believe role models are important - they model a role in life that perhaps shows you a pathway to consider, showcases a way of being to explore. I feel this concept has been lost as we move into a deeply individualized society that reads a lot of self help and does a lot less asking for help (in my humble analysis). And for me, Ruth showed up right on time - maybe a little late as I wish I had known her a bit earlier in her career. And yet the way she stood up for herself, they way she honored her values system and her voice, the way she fought for what she believed in AND the way she loved her partner and her children, I admire(d) her.
So I ponder her impact on me. Of course I see her impact on the World, a conversation in regards to gender equality at the time of her life and her breaking of glass ceilings and beyond. And as I find myself morphing into her chosen ‘look’, I will be here exploring where this conversation goes and specifically answer the question of what I want to fight for, what I care about and how I can do it in a way that isn’t so damn isolating and more inviting.