Written in stone

Emmy Jansen
MSMU Class of 2023

(3/2020) Women’s history month comes around every year and I never know how to celebrate it. What would be the correct way to honor those that have come before me to get me to the place I am today? Often, we settle for merely partaking in the rights they fought to get us. We vote because of the women who campaigned for us to be able to. We get an education because our ancestors, male and female, couldn’t. We were told that "We can do it," so we do.

There are so many admirable women in modern and past society that we try to model ourselves after. Symbols of American womanhood, like Betsy Ross and various First Ladies, help us to discern what it means to be an American woman, as a beacon of freedom and hope. Freedom fighters such as Malala Yousufzai and Jane Addams show us how to stand up for what we believe in, for us and for others. There are so many female saints, warriors, and mothers who inspire us every day. Mother Mary instantly comes to mind, her resilience and strength through pain that seems unimaginable. Womanhood, motherhood, and sisterhood make up the female experience and I learn more about it every day. Our inspirations don’t have to be written in history books or magazines. We’re effected by every person we encounter. When I think of strong women, I think of Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth II. But I also think of my mom, my grandmother, and the girls in my dorm. We’re inundated by examples of womanhood. March merely provides a context for our introspection.

Though we look to the past to see all the women who have come before us, I’d rather look to the future. Who will I be and how will I play a role in what’s to come? Regardless of gender, how will the people generations from now look back at us?

One way ancestors pass down knowledge and culture is through literature. The two core classes I’m currently taking at the Mount both focus on ancient texts. I often leave class wondering why we spend so much time looking back on the past, specifically from Ancient Greece, even though there’s so many other cultures and civilizations I know nothing about. Obviously, all these texts have value. Excerpts from the Iliad, Oedipus, and any dialogue from Plato unpack another aspect of humanity. However, our human thirst for knowledge isn’t quenched by this one subsection in the global timeline. Books, new and old, tell us so much about the world around us. It’s unfortunate that in our busy, modern lives we don’t have time to enjoy the mass of knowledge that was left for us. In a world of cultivated understanding and human discovery, we should never remain ignorant. As I sit here writing this in a library, I’m in tune to the books surrounding me that I have never read or touched. Many of the pages here have never been turned since they were put on the shelves. They’re merely taking up space, full of insight that only exists in the author’s mind. I want to read as many books in this library as I possibly can. I’ll let you know in three years how far I’ve gotten.

It might shock you to know that there are people in the United States who don’t know how to read. It might shock you to know that they may never learn. What should shock you most of all is that there isn’t much being done to amend this. This Women’s History Month, as we reflect on the rights and respect gained over generations, let’s remember the most basic one: the ability to read. If we’re going to celebrate newer freedoms like voting and military service, we should also celebrate the most mundane. Celebrate Women’s History by reading. Use the skill you have that generations ago, your ancestors might not have, both males and females.

Another part of reading is writing. Someone has to be around to write the books that pass down essential wisdom to our great grandchildren and beyond. I find myself scouring bookstores for specific topics only to come up empty. If the book I want to find doesn’t exist, it’s for me to write. Writing has been a staple of my life for as long as I can remember, and college has helped me expand my hobby. I’m constantly reminded of the importance of reading and writing, together and separately. They are significant on their own, as skills necessary in life. They also go hand in hand; Reading makes you a better writer and writing makes you a better reader.

It’s my firm belief that everyone has a story to tell. That’s why I am leaning towards journalism as a career, to tell the stories I’ve always wanted to hear. But you don’t need someone to ask the questions just for you to answer them. If you’ve been wrestling the idea of telling your story or any story, this is your sign. No one knows what you have to say except for you. There will never be a shortage of stories to tell or people to listen to them but there is a shortage of people willing to tell them. If you won’t do it for yourself or the people around you, think about those yet to come. Our ancestors never thought we’d be sitting here centuries later with the ability to read and write openly. We have no idea what our descendants will be capable of, but we should supply them with all the wisdom and knowledge we can. Humanity has only existed for 200,000 years. We are still at the brink of the human experience. I envy my great grandchildren and the awareness they will have about the world around them. I wish I could be around for it. But the most I can do is bolster their understanding.

This Women’s History Month, I will be reading books by female authors, known and unknown, to celebrate both my ability to read and their ability to write. We have come a long way in 200,000 years. I can’t wait to see where we go.

Read other articles by Emmy Jansen