I had the privilege of interviewing over twenty women to learn about the vibrant and diverse stories of ordinary women living their lives. In honor of Women’s History Month for 2019, I am sharing their stories.*
Each woman was asked the same six questions:
What is your role as a woman?
Who has shaped this role for you; what influence has your family, culture, and society had in shaping this role for you?
How much of your role is shaped by you and how do you choose to live as a woman?
Do you fulfill your role a woman, or not?
What opportunities did your mother have that your grandmother did not and what opportunities do you have that your mother did not?
How is the woman you are now different from the woman you were, and what would you say to her?
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Each woman is so different from the next and yet, perhaps you will hear your own voice in theirs from time to time.
Enjoy.
*Note that the audio files are completely unedited and you will truly be receiving an authentic experience, with the occasional awkward interruptions of clanging restaurant plates, a next-door-neighbor’s construction work, and silence while we research the quote an interviewee wanted to add! These unedited charms are as organic as their stories. Some of these women are family friends, good friends of mine, professional acquaintances or strangers I met spontaneously in a baseball stadium. We met for interviews in family rooms in private homes, public libraries, gazebos, and restaurants or cafes. Edited written transcripts will be released at a later date.