Callan
I'm a Heartless Bitch because I've always had a fervent desire, but
at the same time natural tendency, to march to my own drummer. I have never
actually accepted any sort of norm or constructed definition to define who I
should be, what I should think and what I should do. I have always just been
Callan. Adventurous, curious, sensitive and perhaps a little impetuous at times,
but always compassionate. I have had to pay the price for being a bit different
at times, for saying what I think, for (definitely) not being a good girl and
for being a contrarian when one is needed. As any Heartless Bitch knows, a whole
lot of people resent us. I think I've been all the stronger for it though,
often using humor to cope.
As many young women confused by the unfair state of things, particularly
gender issues, I found solace in reading feminist literature. By 14 I had
quickly worked my way through the gutsy polemic of Germaine Greer (among
others)who my wonderful father recommended for me. I found a sort of spark of
defiance in their rhetoric that has, and continues to, influence what kind of
person I want to become. I knew I had to be strong woman. To tell you the truth,
I sort of wanted to be Xena.
I've grown a lot since those days and read a lot too. Enough so that I am
able to take nothing I read as gospel (I did as a young teen, tend to go to
extremes), but rather be able to critically analyze absolutely everything and
really be able to separate the bullshit from the truth. That said, I will always
keep a piece of my angst-ridden childhood. I need it to keep me from
complacency, to fire me up when I need it. To me, the Feminist movement, the
fight for human rights isn't over and it never will be over. I would love to be
a trailblazer of some sort. This is why I am looking into going into human
rights law after I finish my law degree. Of course, Feminism and human rights
(and, in a sense, animal rights) are one in the same. I've seen enough of the
world from Europe to South American, Africa and China (I've done a lot of
volunteer work teaching English) to know that we have a LONG way to go.
I am only in my early 20s and I still have growing to do. I'm not really
sure where I'll end up, but I know that wherever I am and whatever I'm doing,
I'm Callan: a Heartless Bitch till the end.
Country: Canada
Yes! I want to read more from Real Life Heartless Bitches
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