So Who’s The Smart-Aleck Now?

Blonde Afro
Maybe it was my curly afro or Gloria Vanderbilt’s signature embroidered on the backside of my jeans, you could say I was a typical teen of the 70s. We were exploring the freedoms won by the previous hippie generation, experimenting with just enough rope to hang ourselves. We looked a bit tidier than our 1960s compadres, but we were far more wild. I often think we got away with more, because we looked like we were on the straight and narrow. Who could be up to causing trouble when we wore crisp button down shirts, big hair and lots of lip gloss? Okay… maybe we shouldn’t go there.
My squeaky clean image was polished further by serving in student council. For those that know me, you are probably not surprised. Somethings never change and in many ways I structure my meetings much as I did at Scottsdale High four decades ago.
We were fortunate to have the first woman high school principal in Scottsdale, the legendary Evelyn Caskey. She was a dominate figure, who taught me leadership in so many ways. About once a month or so, Mrs. Caskey would venture into our lunchtime meetings of teen drama and angst to check up on us and offer a teachable moment. During the heated 1976 presidential election between Ford and Carter, Mrs. Caskey dropped in to discuss politics with a theme that was to weave in and out the methods that our student body was to observe during our own elections.
I can’t imagine that we were mud slinging too much, but we did have some boisterous candidates. I’m not naming names here, but you know who you are!
Anyway, Principal Caskey was admonishing us to take the role of leadership with a steady hand and by way of example referenced the men who would lead our nation across the generations. She was asking us to draw upon the traits that men used to become role models and leaders. I made a sly comment out of the side of my mouth that went something like, “Well, a woman would do that differently…”
Quick as a bolt of lightening, with hearing that was high-fidelity, Principal Caskey whipped her head around and reprimanded me with her deep and dark Greek eyes, “Julia Patrick, don’t be such a smart-aleck!”
It wasn’t that I was being disrespectful, or commenting on her observations, nor was it even that I was talking without having raised my hand. It was the fact that a woman would never be President of the United States and I should know better. I adored Evelyn Caskey. So when she reprimanded me for my comment I was put in my place. I got the message that females would never have a seat at the table, but we could be in charge of setting the table.
Until recently, I guess I bought into that thought. I was taught to be the crystal goblet, perfectly patinated sterling silver and bouquet of fresh flowers. I was not supposed to be the meat and potatoes on the plate. That was for men. But tonight, as I toast my television with a glass of champagne I am thinking back and now forward.
It’s not about political party affiliation or if a woman will even be elected the next President of the United States. It is the fact that little girls today don’t think the way we did back in the day.
They are better than that and we are better for it.
From the Heart…
Juliasignature WEB

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