We have from time to time posted profiles of women we admire. These profiles include well-known women as well as “ordinary” women whom we find anything but ordinary. In fact, we believe there are almost no women who are ordinary.
The story of Wally Funk, the 82-year old who went to space with Jeff Bezos a few weeks ago, is an outstanding narrative of how challenging it was (and still is today) to be a woman in what has been forever a Man’s World. Wally was one of a group of 13 women who completed astronaut training in the 1960s. She and her fellow trainees were denied the opportunity to go into space because the program was “for men only”.
“Nothing has ever gotten in my way,” she noted. “They said, ‘Well, you’re a girl, you can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Guess what, doesn’t matter what you are. You can still do it if you want to do it and I like to do things that nobody has ever done.”
Wally Funk
Wally went on to become a pilot and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board. She has taught over 3000 people how to fly.
Imagine what and how her life would have turned out if there had been no gender discrimination. To her credit, she continued to pursue her love of flying and was able to be successful in her career. Sixty plus years later, this woman showed us that, even in the fourth quarter, life can offer new adventures.
Here’s a great story of three women friends who each turned 100 this week. They are great friends
and they play board games and laugh and enjoy each other’s company Hats off to them:
https://nypost.com/2021/06/14/three-nyc-ladies-best-friends-turn-100-in-the-same-week/
I am a big fan of stores about the unsung hero women of our past. I am a particular fan of the BBC series on Bletchley Park about the women who were instrumental in decoding the Enigma machine during World War II, for which they could not be recognized nor were they acknowledged even after the fact.
The last profile that we like is the recent interview with Maria Gangemi who is the founder of M. Gemi leather goods. An Italian born and raised in Sicily, she now resides in the US. She has successfully built a high end company that produces beautiful handmade Italian shoes and now handbags. She developed a business model early on that promoted direct-to-consumer handcrafted leather shoes.
She has not forsaken her commitment to small scale artisans and factories and is dedicated to maintaining quality in every product. In a culture that is too often male dominated, we support and applaud her success.
https://luxe.digital/business/digital-luxury-opinions/maria-gangemi/
It is reassuring to connect with other women and find ways to feel energized about our life. Life is never over and we see someone like Wally Funk and understand that there are always more stories and journeys to be had. Too often people look at a certain age and think about the demise rather than the possibilities yet to come. It is these women in the news who give us pause but it does not have to be. We can look to our friends and gal pals to can show us the way to more adventures and joy ahead.
Here’s to us.
Ciao
Lucy and Claudia