2020: Note 31 - A Truly Brave Woman

I know a woman who stuck her neck out in one of the biggest ways imaginable. She put herself in the public eye, in the middle of the political fray that absorbed the US throughout 2020.

She is a strong and smart woman, and she knew that sharing her perspective meant her life might never be the same. She did it anyway - the importance of the situation was too great for her to remain behind the scenes.

The two of us first met when we were teenagers, spending time at the same summer camp. I always found her to be smart and composed. Even though I was a couple of years older than her, I looked up to her and tried to match her accomplishments (with mixed results).

Sadly, we lost touch. This was before social media and cell phones, so if you weren't best friends with someone from the summer, you drifted apart for the rest of the year. When I heard that she was speaking out and willingly stepped into the polarized politics of 2020, I wasn't that surprised. Everything I remembered about her as a strong and inspiring teenager fit perfectly with the lioness I saw on TV and heard on the radio.

It feels a bit awkward to say I'm proud of her, since it's not really my place to take pride in the work of someone I knew back when. But I do feel that way...an old friendship has been rekindled and I am delighted to see her blaze.