You would think,
at the tail end
of 2020,
all of the big firsts
for women
would have
already been accomplished.
But they haven’t been.
There hasn’t yet,
for example,
been a female President
of the United States.
In the Romance Industry,
an industry dominated
by women,
there are still firsts
to accomplish also.
A female romance writer
has never won
a Nobel Prize
for Literature,
for example.
(And yes,
some romance novels
ARE worthy of that award.
Yet they aren’t even considered
for it.)
Seeking to be the first
is a great goal.
But as Hillary Clinton
shares,
“As Kamala Harris
says,
it’s not good enough
to be the first.
You have to make sure
you are not the last.”
I quoted Hillary Clinton,
rather than Kamala Harris,
because this is a great example
of how we ensure
firsts are not lasts.
We give the next generation,
the next woman
a hand up.
We quote them.
We mention them.
We increase their credibility
and others’ awareness
of them.
A legacy matters more
when others care
about that legacy.
Ensuring we are not
the last
does that.
If you’re able,
give the next generation
a boost.
Allow them to accomplish more
by volunteering
your shoulders
for them to stand on.