I reserve the right to be a girl

As a kid, I was usually picked last for the neighborhood baseball game. Not because I was that bad, but because I was the only girl. In junior high and high school, I found myself with a lot of guy friends--never any boyfriends. In college, living in a house with seven girls, I found refuge in the neighborhood of the boys hockey team. Typically, I get along better with male co-workers. And I've always prided myself on being, "one of the guys." Which meant I could do anything a guy could. However, as I've gotten older, I reserve the right to be a girl.

Case in point: last night Husband Joe and I took my parents out fishing on Lake Minnetonka. A beautiful night for a cruise past absurdly beautiful houses and to wet a few lines. We all caught some small pan fish, and as I would reel in my prize, I would shout to Joe to put down his line and be prepared to take off my fish. As the night continued, more and more boats started fishing close by us (they must of heard us say "walleye"--little did they know it was the smallest walleye ever!). Soon one of the boats close by caught a fish. The girl on the boat caught, reeled, and promptly--without any nod to her male companion--took the fish off the line. Something about this made me think that I could and should take my next fish off the line. Some competitive girl drive in me said "you will do that, too." Not too long after, I caught a cute little guy (or girl?). Step one: reel it in. Done. Step two: touch the fish. Done. Step three: hold the fish in your grip. Done. Step four: take out the hook and let fish free. Done? No. The fish flopped out of my hands and went flying into the boat. For the safety of the fish, I summoned Husband Joe over to finish my work.

I reserved the right to be a girl.

I don't want to portray that I think of "girl" as weak or inferior. It's just that I've realized, and am now okay with the fact, that there are certain things that men can do better (and of course there are a lot of things women can do better than men). More than anything, it's about an education for the last girl standing on the neighborhood baseball team: it's okay to be a girl.