It looks like it will be the season of the Detroit Tigers this year, as Abigail begins her YMCA Summer Baseball League. I am excited about it. After day one of practice though, I am a little nervous about whether or not this sport will stick through the short season, much less for coming years. She seemed a little bummed after practice today and didn't seem to have fun, though she couldn't really articulate why.
Maybe I shouldn't be too surprised. She was the only girl at practice today and we have had some gender issues. Before school ended, she told me during a car ride, "Mommy, Michael at school was making fun of me today." I inquired to the nature of the 'fun'. "He made fun of me because I said I was playing baseball this summer. He said girls can't play baseball." My inner Warrior Princess pulled her Chakram and prepared for battle.
"He said you were not able to do it? Abi, would I have signed you up for something you could not do?" My battle cry sounded.
"No," she said.
"Do you think then that you are able to play baseball?"
"Yes!"
"Abi, for the rest of your life, it is possible you will run into this from time to time- a boy telling you that you can not do something because you're a girl. There is just one thing, Abi, that you can not do because of the fact that you are a girl. Do you know what that is?"
"What?" she asked.
"Have a penis."
She seemed to like that answer.
Well, and alright, I realize that, with the powers of modern science, even that is not a complete truth, but come on, there is only so much I am going to get into at this point with a seven year old.
Yes, I know that I am just asking for that comment to go full circle- to hear from a teacher or another parent that she is repeating the 'penis' comment someplace. I did tell her it's not a very respectful thing to say in front of others... but I also clarified that if someone is bringing up being a girl as a disadvantage in the first place, the disrespect has already started, so... well... game on!
I like baseball. I like having a baseball playing daughter.
We will take it one season at a time, and be grateful for every day she isn't talking about cheer leading!
Upon reading this, I couldn't repress my inner contrarian and immediately began considering ways that Abi might "have" a penis someday - for instance, in a jar, or in a display case like the withered specimen at the University of Pennsylvania (from a mummy). Then I wondered if Cher ever said that to Chaz.
ReplyDeleteYou can kill me - I understand.