How to Successfully Talk to Women You Should Know
I'm not going to give you a lecture on how women you should know (and women in general) have been absent in the history books. I also won't lecture you on how under-represented we are when it comes to being recognized for our achievements. But I do want to take the space on this page to highlight a few women I think you should know. I've taken a moment to link a few articles that have a few more women who should be on your radar.
Table of Contents
Women you should know
- The woman who raised you
- The woman who raised her
- The woman next to you
- The woman who inspired you
- The woman down the street (or down the hall)
- The woman on your bus/train/commute
This is not an all-inclusive list. I encourage you to journal, process with a friend, or otherwise come up with your own list of women who have impacted your life and whom you'd like to get to know better.
What I mean by “know”
Taking the time to get to know someone isn't just learning their name or a little part of their history. Getting to know someone is delving into their hopes, dreams, and fears. It means taking the time to try to understand them as a person and allowing them the space to share themselves with you. We have the power to inspire someone else to not only tell their story but also share it with their families.
This type of power should not be taken lightly nor squandered. Take the time to have the conversations, ask the questions, be present for the answers, and share her story. Thank you for the work you've done, the work you are doing, and the work you will do. You make a difference every time you choose to care.
How to get to know her
I didn't say this was going to be easy. Most likely it will be a hard-won battle to get to know the women in your life. They have been taught all their lives to be quiet, private, and as small as possible. This has led to a generation (or two) of women who are fading or have faded into history. It's up to us and the people who care for these women on the day-to-day to get to know them and let them know that their story matters. It matters not just today or this week, but every day.
Ways to start the conversation
These are a few resources on how you can start the conversation and how to successfully talk to the woman you should know.
More women you should know
In addition to the people in your life, here are some links to a few lists of women you should absolutely know about. Want to see some other women added to this list? Feel free to ping me somewhere on the social channels, and we'll get it updated.
What now?
Looking for that thing to help you keep your storytellers engaged and talking? For the writers in your care, this journal will keep them talking for a good long while. Encourage them (if they can) to reach out via phone or video to family members and share the memories they write about.
This journal was designed for storytellers in their sunset years who are ready to write about and share their memories. Simple to use and elegant enough to keep around to remind you of them long after they are gone.
