31 Heroines of March 2012: Sue Weidmann

Sue Weidmann – Super Mom

My mother was the primary earner for my family until I was about six years old. Every morning she made me breakfast, took me to school, and went to work. I know it can be emotionally draining as a social worker, but she rarely let that show. Instead, she came home and made supper, made my lunch for the next day, helped with my homework, and did all those little things that mothers do for their children. On weekends, she went grocery shopping, ran errands, did laundry and took care of all the things that pile up over the course of a week. None of this sounds heroic, but as an adult now myself, I marvel at how she was able to do it all, largely with grace and patience, and still find time for herself.

As I got older and more busy, it only got harder because instead of attending the occasional concert or awards ceremony, my parents were attending a couple of events a month. But Mom never missed one even if it meant taking time off work (Dad wasn't so lucky). She made a point of always being there.

My mother is my best friend, occasionally my worst enemy, and always my biggest supporter.  Even with 6000 miles and 8 time zones between us, we're still close, and I'm still amazed by all she did—and does—for me while maintaining her own unique personality and identity.

Katie Weidmann

31 Heroines of March 2012: Pippi Longstocking

Pippi Longstocking – Original Bohemian Girl

When I think back of my girlhood I cannot disregard the marked impact that Pippi Longstocking had on me. The nine-year-old girl came to life through television and movies from the children's books of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.

At first I was enchanted by the extraordinary persona of Pippi who was like nothing familiar to me. The red hair and freckles accompanied a genuinely relaxed and happy-go-lucky attitude, not to mention the fashion-statement high stockings. I admired Pippi for her individualistic attributes and qualities. My television buddy was confident, bright and brave. She had a distinguished wit along with a great sense of fairness. It felt natural to want to hang out with Pippi, along with her best friends Tommy and Annika, because she always knew how to have fun. Pippi’s bohemian way of living explained her unconventional approach on various issues and is what made her so original.

  

On top of everything, Pippi was a kid that loved playing. She was fond of swimming, befriending animals, and inspiring amusement. It was all about simplicity with Pippi, whether a bologna sandwich was involved or drinking lemonade out of a jug at a garden party. Even if she seemed too edgy at times, her innocent impulsivity allowed her to pull it off. Pippi taught me how to enjoy the plain moments in life and to believe in myself.

Magda Repouskou

31 Heroines of March 2012: Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger – Witch Extraordinaire

Is there any better role model for girls than Hermione Granger? As a child, I always had my nose in a book. I loved tales of adventure and when I read the first Harry Potter book at age 8, Hermione was a revelation. Here, finally, was a contemporary character that seemed just like me! She was bright, worked hard at school, and wasn’t ashamed to show it. Hermione wasn’t the prettiest and certainly not the most popular, but she was brave, resourceful, and loyal to her friends. I also loved that she was smarter than the boys! Her deep bond with Harry and Ron was a great example to children of both sexes, highlighting that gender should not come in the way of friendship. She could be tactless, and sometimes a ‘know-it-all,’ but these flaws made her human. Most importantly, she was always right in the thick of the action, rather than playing the ubiquitous ‘damsel in distress’ role. Without Hermione, Harry could never have completed his quest; and what’s more, he knew it!

J.K. Rowling (herself deserving of a place on this quilt) has said that she wants her daughters to grow up like Hermione Granger, rather than the shallow, scheming Pansy Parkinson. I couldn’t agree with her more.

Chloe Grant

31 Heroines of March 2012: The Baby Sitters Club

The Baby Sitters Club – Friends and Young Entrepreneurs 

In 1996 at 10 years old I discovered Kristy, Mary-Anne, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn, Jesse and Mallory – collectively known as the Baby Sitters Club (or BSC). The BSC were a group of early teenage girls who, despite coming from a range of backgrounds with diverse interests, were friends. They started their own neighbourhood babysitting agency while juggling friendships, families, artistic pursuits, extra-curricular activities, and the occasional love life. The books might be scoffed at as fluff, but the positive messages I took from them – responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, economic independence and balancing a ‘career’ with personal life – negated the lack of challenging vocabulary. 

Perhaps inspired by the girls’ I saved my pocket money and scoured secondhand bookstores, garage sales, and library clearances for unread copies. The BSC was my first real exposure to many Americanisms. Without it I could have easily embarrassed myself not knowing what PBJ stands for. It is also connected with my first ideas about fashion and style—even now my clothing choices reflect a combination of kooky Claudia and sophisticated Stacey.

As I headed for high school, author Ann M. Martin finished the series. It was nice to feel like the BSC were growing up with me. Nowadays if I come across an old BSC book I can’t resist flicking through it – it’s like visiting a trusted friend who reminds me of what it was like to be ten again.

Briar Barry

31 Heroines of March 2012: Eve

Eve – First Woman, Wife, and Mother

This may sound strange coming from an archaeologist, but when I was younger, one of my heroines was Eve, as in ‘The First Eve.’ I grew up in a Christian family and although my parents were not really strict, I have never been baptised, the religious influence was there. For example, I didn’t have fairytales for bedtime stories, but instead Biblical tales with questions at the end to make sure I was paying attention.

I remember hearing the story of Eve and thinking, “What a poor woman! She put up with a lot.” She was and still is the one blamed for the ‘Original Sin.’  She was cruelly tricked, kicked out of Paradise to labour for food and shelter on previously un-worked soil, while also the first wife and mother—how daunting! Eve endured child birth many times and stomach cramps whilst Adam, presumably, was of no help. She even dealt with the murder of her son Abel by the hand of her other son Cain and yet somehow got on with it all. Eve accomplished so much and yet in most of the Bible she has been quite overlooked.

I always thought of Eve as a great role model. She was patient and loving, loyal and hardworking, and she never looked for gratitude.

Natalie Moyanah

31 Heroines of March 2012: Vera Brittain

Vera Brittain – Strong Woman, Nurse, and Author

I had never felt the impact of the First World War so keenly as when I first read Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth. Learning of the devastating impact of the war from the perspective of this young woman brought it home to me in a way more relevant and real than the intensely horrific descriptions of the soldier poets. I discovered Vera Brittain as a young woman myself, at a time when I was trying to find my own way in the world. Reading her experience enabled me to place myself in her shoes and to fully comprehend how grateful my generation should be that we do not have to endure suffering on the same scale.

Aged 18 when the war was declared, Vera became a VAD nurse and in the subsequent four years not only worked under terrifying conditions, but lost her brother, her best friend and the man she loved. She came back to a world changed forever and found the strength to continue her life. Whilst suffering from shell shock, she fought for women’s rights and her right to an education, agitated against war, found love again, and wrote her testimony so that people like me could try to understand. I remember Vera at times when I don’t feel strong, and it is her perseverance to live and love that inspires me.

Lizzie Fuller

31 Heroines of March 2012: Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews – Harmonious Actress: Nun, Nanny, and Queen

A badly kept life secret is that I always wanted to be a Broadway baby--a big, belting, bawdy diva. How does a mild-mannered moppet go from idolizing Anne Frank to wanting to become Ethel Merman? Well, my gateway drug to Broadway was Julie Andrews.

My mum saw her in Camelot in the early 1960s, yes technically I was not born, but did attend on a genetic level. Julie could do no wrong. I could watch her supercalifragilistically clean a room over and over again. Her favorite things and flight from the Nazis kept me enthralled even after exponential viewings of the ‘Sound of Music’. I danced around my room, pretending that I had similar powers, to tidy my mess with just the sound of my voice. I ran out into the wind of oncoming Florida summer storms with an umbrella desperate to get swept up into the sky to visit her.

I was not even disappointed once I realized the difference between real people and ‘acting.’ She is still my heroine. I even became a nanny for a few years in my late teens to have a similar resume, but stopped short of becoming a nun. I regret never having seen her live, but Julie Andrews continues to be an inspiration to my girlhood self, who wants to run around in circles, singing at the top of my lungs until I fall down into an animated alternative reality with Dick van Dyke.

Ashley E. Remer