#LikeAGirl

I really like this because I had and continue to have limits in my life. I've been made to feel limited at work, at school, and sometimes at home when I was growing up.

Girls are not supposed to be good at math
I have taken the highest level math in my field that an undergrad can take.

Girls roles are to get married, and raise a family.
I learned too late that one has the freedom to turn down men. I have been in a relationship for 2 years, and yes we've had ups and downs, and talked about marriage. The conclusion? We are happy being not married right now. We both have a lot going on in our lives, and marriage is not going to be an advantage to us in any way.

Girls can't be brave.
I usually walk half way to work, when the weather is nice. Living in San Francisco, I have to be brave, it is a busy, big city.

My blog of...over 10 years now is called Defying Gravity. Every day, I have people and situations that hold me back, and I have to rise up to defy those challenges, those daily gravities. What are your gravities?

The meaning behind my blog name.

My blog is called Defying Gravity, One Day At A Time. I got this name from the stage production of "Wicked." There is a very powerful song called "Defying Gravity." I have never seen this particular play, but I have wanted to for a long time. The song takes place when the main character Elphaba, is fed up with all of these challenges, these "gravities" holding her down from her total potential as an activist, a political influence, and maybe even as a witch. So she decides that no matter how hard she tries to do good, people are going to look past that and deem her as "wicked." She can not seem to get anywhere by following rules, she is tired of facing limits. So she decides that she is going to "fly solo, but at least I'll be flying free."
I have felt like Elphaba so many times in my life for so many different reasons. Living under the roof of a strict and sometimes unreasonable and illogical rules was the majority of my gravity. I really connected with this song when I moved to San Diego the first time in 2005. I had never felt the freedom, true freedom to do what I wanted when I wanted and never had to check in with anyone.
Since then, I feel as though I (as well as every person) goes through daily challenges, daily gravities. Things that hold us back from our true potential. Perhaps someone tells you that you can not do something. Maybe you tell yourself that something can not happen. But at some point, you just have to forget rules, forget what other people tell you and forget the restrictions and just go for it.
I have my daily gravities, you have daily gravities. It takes strength, guts and a lot of personal pep talks to learn how to screw the rules and Defy Gravity.