Nevertheless, I'm Persisting

Mitch McConnell has inadvertently given me my life motto.  I'm sure it wasn't his intention last night - he was merely trying to get Elizabeth Warren to shut the hell up. But when he uttered those words "She was warned.  She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted", he managed to sum up so much about a woman's life - any woman's life, but particularly mine.

I've never been one to follow along with the norms.  I've always been a bit... too.  Too big, too loud, too smart for my own good, too likely to ask questions and insist on answers, too unlikely to sit in the corner and be quiet... For example, band.  I didn't play clarinet or flute... or even saxophone.  I went for the trombone.  In every band I was in, all through school, I was the only female trombone player.  I was warned that it wasn't a feminine instrument, I was told that only football players and meatheads played trombone... nevertheless, I persisted.  I got good enough to be second chair in one of the state's best bands, and I took an award at the state competition for my trombone solo (two words you do not imagine hearing in one phrase) of "Send In The Clowns." I was warned, I was given an explanation (a stupid explanation, but an explanation), nevertheless, I persisted and won.

When my job as a purchasing agent was being "professionalized", I was warned that they were heading towards only people with college degrees.  They explained that I would have to go back to school (at 35 or so) and learn how to do the job that I had been doing to 10 years or so (and teaching others how to do for at least half that time).  Nevertheless, I persisted.  I made myself so valuable to the office that they couldn't afford to lose me at the time (and it took two guys to replace me when I left - both of whom had their degrees, by the way.)  I'll take that as a win.

I had been warned all my life that fat women do not get quality men - they explained that I'd have to either lose weight, be alone forever or lower my standards greatly.  Nevertheless, I persisted - I dated a few fun guys, some strange guys, some "lovely, but not for me, guys", and then I met Roger.  Twenty-two years later, I still think I got the best of the deal - the love of my life is still the best man I've ever met - I definitely won.

And then there's Hank.  You know that story - I was warned I had an incurable cancer.  They explained that 50% of the women diagnosed with ULMS die in the first two years, 80% in the first 5. Nevertheless, I'm coming up on 4 years now living with this timebomb - I've persisted, and I've got no plans to stop.

It's not always easy to persist.  You get tired, you get angry, you feel defeated.  But as long as you can get back up and keep going, they haven't won yet. The road is long, hard, and dry, but nevertheless... I persisted.