That, however, is not true for me. While I do not consider myself a great man (yet), I do recognize that there are some great woman in my life. And they have not been “behind me” at all. They have been walking beside me, mentoring me from a distance, coxing me in a rowing shell, having dance parties on the streets with me, or leading the way with their smiles and positivity shining brightly. In honour of all the wonderful ladies in my life, I wanted to highlight some of the shining stars:
Stephanie Corker Irwin. My sister. (This was a given, I know!) If you haven’t figured out that I think my sister is fantastic, you probably have just started reading this blog/getting to know me. She is a constant source of energy, ideas, and all things fabulous! Plus, she’s always there for me when I need a good bro-sis chat about life, love, and everything in between. She’ll either put me in my place, or push me to be all I can be – both are very needed at times!
Lynda Watkins. My mom. Despite the geographical separation, she remains a powerful woman in my life. When I was young, she instilled in me this idea of benevolence that I hold so dear – doing good for others, just because. Volunteering often, going out of your way for a friend, and offering to help before being asked to help. Our quick chats, or brief text messages (like today’s), always remind me of how amazing she is.
Ruth Stevenson. My Nana. She taught me the strength in having patience, organization, and faith. Have I mastered all three? Far from it! But she role models great behaviour, so I feel like I learn more and more from her each time we connect. (Sidenote: she is in Vancouver right now, visiting from out east! How lucky am I!)
Michelle Aucoin. My previous boss. Even though I had the opportunity to work for her for only 6 months, the knowledge and direction that she provided to me have been instrumental in my new career with UBC. She has a strong focus on students, on building an incredible (and empowered) staff team, and on challenging the status quo. Amazing? AMAZING! Some days I wish I was still working for her, but am glad we still meet up to chat about everything else besides work!
Liz King. A favourite colleague of mine. Her talents and job-related skills aside, she just makes work fun. Period. Our team “buzzes” at a rather high frequency – in everything that we do – and Liz is always there to bring a smile to our faces and make me laugh until I start crying. She is what some may call an “industry expert,” I like to refer to her as a “people person.”
And last but not least, Danielle LaPorte. We met once. She shook my hand and then gave me a huge hug. She then spoke for 2 hours and 30 minutes to a crowd of beautiful women (and me). The inspiration she provided in that period of time though will certainly last a lifetime. It was actually too amazing to explain in words!
You may be asking yourself: How did she make the list if you’ve only ever met her once and had a brief conversation while you chose what tea to drink?
My rebuttal: Can’t a guy dream about the great women he wants more of in his life?
Cheers to that!
Pick of the post: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – Falling Slowly (listen here)
2 comments
yangjustinc says:
April 18, 2009 at 6:35 pm (UTC -7)
This is so enlightened. Reading your blog is so refreshing!
This just made me think of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech, especially the last few lines, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”
Stephanie Corker Irwin says:
April 19, 2009 at 12:52 am (UTC -7)
Oh Snap! Can hardly believe I made a blog post with such wonderful women, but am, obviously, totally grateful and flattered.
YOU, my bro – ROCK. MY. WORLD. Thanks for being everything you are…love ya!