Top 10 Tuesday: Top 5 Female Role Models

Keebles has a good discussion about the subject of role models on her blog, but I differ from her opinion in some ways. I think of a role model as someone you can admire and perhaps they might inspire you to do something you never thought you could. I do not think of role models as someone you should copy entirely and you shouldn't be disappointed if they're not living up to your ideals. No one is perfect. 

Check out Kate's list as well to see how we might have different role models :)

TOP 5 FEMALE ROLE MODELS

1. Justine Blainey

I know I talked about Ms. Blainey last year some time, but it's time to bring up her name again. When I was 11 going on 12, there was some discussion if I would be allowed to continue to play hockey on a boy's team because next year would be Peewee, which is when you're starting to body check. Ms. Blainey had made the cut for a high level boy's hockey team, but the league was denying her right to play. The Ontario Human Rights Code at that time allowed gender discrimination in sports.  

There were 5 court cases including an initial loss, then a win on an appeal to the Ontario Supreme Court, and eventually no more arguments were accepted by the Supreme Court of Canada. Ms. Blainey had won the right for all women to play hockey, and subsequently other sports, wherever they wanted. 

What I learned from Ms. Blainey at the time was to never give up. If you want something bad enough, fight for it.

2.  Kaylee Frye from Firefly as played by Jewel Staite

image from space1999nut.wordpress.com

I love Kaylee. She was positive no matter what was happening and always looked for the bright side of things. Most of the time I try and do that as well, and see how things can be looked at in a more positive light. 

Plus she was an excellent mechanic, something you don't find often. She could be girly and she was very open about her needs. Basically she's a pretty good all-around role model. 

3. Agatha Christie

Here's arguably the world's greatest mystery writer, who suffered through infidelity from her first husband and then found life-long love with her second husband. Now, divorce, etc. in her day was certainly not something that took place, and yet she did it. She also possibly planned her disappearance to embarrass her husband and make his infidelity known world-wide. 

Or was this the reason?

She continued writing fantastic mystery novels for years and years and to my young mind she always struck me as a very strong person. Dame Agatha could speak her mind and stand her ground. 

4. My co-worker

I've mentioned my co-worker in passing about how I'm stitching things for her and I stitched up that awesome Zindagi design for her last year. She's a pretty amazing person generally and has a great work ethic. She is happiest when she's accomplishing things and she treats everyone with respect, even if sometimes they don't deserve it. 

So why am I choosing her as a role model? Well, she is a refugee and has been here in the U.S. for 15 years after making the extremely difficult decision to leave her family and war-torn country and emigrate here for a new start. With a one year old! She's here with her son, knows no one, gets a job in retail, working her butt off to give them a chance at a new life. She meets someone here and he's a great father to her son, and they have two more children together. All the while she's working her hardest, oh and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for most of her life and she's my age (not 40 yet).

She is in pain every day, and she works hard every day. She has a smile or is at least positive most days, pain or not. She speaks with an accent and has put up with harassment and she still works with the general public. She is one of the strongest and most generous people I know. She doesn't do much with technology and she will never read this, but I want to mention what an amazing person she is. I'm very happy to know her and have her in our lives. I feel like if I could be as good a person as she is then I would be successful in all aspects of my life. 

5. Guess who? 

This remarkable woman survived Nazi occupation and malnutrition, was a courier and supporter for the Dutch Resistance and a proficient ballet dancer. She emigrated to England and studied ballet, but was told her "weak constitution" courtesy of wartime malnutrition made prima ballerina status unlikely. She switched her focus to acting.

 While filming, she was noticed by a playwright and cast as the lead in a Broadway show. She received significant acclaim and was then cast in several movies as the leading lady. I can't name any of them or you'll know who she is immediately. :) 

Much of this Academy Award-winning actor's later life was spent in humanitarian efforts, primarily with UNICEF. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work. This remarkable woman is a great role model for turning the experiences of a difficult time in her life into amazing work for less fortunate people. 

Who is she?


Good luck and I hope you enjoyed the list. 

Tiffstitch