Don't Tell Mom...She's a Feminist

UPDATE: I have learned since writing this that my mother does call herself a feminist. However, since I didn't know this until I was about 22 or 23 years old, the post is still relevant. Feminism was something I never heard her talk about. 

My mother has never called herself a feminist, but after a discussion over lunch the other day, I've decided that she is not only a feminist, but probably one of the main reasons that I identify myself as feminist today. Here are the reasons I've decided Mom is a feminist:

She is a well-educated woman who graduated college at the age of 19 (due to a combination of finishing both high school and college in 3 years, each, and having a late birthday). She was the sole breadwinner for the couple while my dad was in pharmacy school (or dental school, or both). She worked for several years as the Director of Psychology at the North Mississippi Regional Center (and believes that she was one of the highest-paid women in town at the time). She took a substantial pay cut to move to a counselor position in the local schools in order to spend more time with her children. She raised three daughters by herself after my father left her in 2003. She constantly encourages my sisters and myself to not rush into marriage, to establish ourselves financially and independently. She introduced my sisters and myself to gender-bending, stereotype-challenging movies like To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (though I admit this could've been due to the ridiculous humor in Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes easily passing as women; either way, it affected my perceptions of gender and acceptance for the better). She is proud of her achievements and is not afraid to say so. She is very loud, willing to take up space and let her presence be known. She is not afraid to laugh out loud in any public place. She wears her gray-white hair (which she has never dyed) in a short, crew-cuttish style and loves it. Whether she intends to or not, she is constantly challenging the expectations our society has for women in her behavior and her achievements. Sorry, mom: you're a feminist.

In other news, I just read this blog post on Ms. Magazine's website about rape in the Coast Guard. It's very interesting and sad, and everyone should read it. http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/04/01/click-rape-should-not-be-a-requirement-to-serve/