Living ahead of the curve means you are a trendsetter; an early adopter of new things and ideas. But, being ahead of the curve, living a life above average, is not always as fabulous as it may sound. It can be a very lonely place. Especially when it comes to courage.
Somehow courage these days seems equated with action heroes leaping from tall buildings or athletes playing with injuries. But really, that’s their job. Not courage. Meanwhile, there are real and ordinary acts of courage that people perform daily that tend to be overlooked or dismissed.
This seems to be especially true of courageous acts demonstrated by women. Two shining examples of what it means to be courageous are Florencia “Flo” Burke and Monique Baza.
Power
The island awoke on a Wednesday morning two weeks ago to the sad news that Flo had passed away unexpectedly. She was a bodybuilding champion and role model for young girls, and women of all ages. Flo was a special kind of person who pursued her goals while ignoring traditional limitations.
It requires incredible amounts of courage and commitment to decide to compete in bodybuilding. The very nature of the sport means you are constantly being judged. The type of success the petite flight attendant achieved demanded more than just physical power. She needed an equally powerful mind, focused to rise above the challenges and preconceived notions of what makes a woman.
Let’s be honest. We still have issues concerning obesity. We try our best to live healthy lifestyles, but our eating habits and foods on the island are mostly the kind that aid with putting weight on.
Female bodybuilders face obstacles men don’t have to deal with. It could be that others think a woman bodybuilder is trying to look like a man, or that women must meet a certain image in their own minds. For some it might be a matter of intimidation, and for others still, just plain jealousy.
Flo’s commitment to her sport took a special strength, a conviction to be strong enough to find the courage to stand out and stand alone. Every woman does not have to fit the same mold to be considered a woman. Flo proved that.
Speaking out
Monique is another woman who inspires me. I had wanted to meet her for quite some time, so I was thoroughly delighted when we had the chance to get to know one another. Our kids’ interest in soccer provided that chance.
Early one morning in 2012, the teacher and mother of three left a local bakery and got into her car, unaware that evil lurked in her backseat. She was kidnapped, tied up and sexually assaulted. But, unlike so many young girls and women who have been victims of sexual assault, this courageous woman did not remain in silent shame.
Monique’s courageous stance encouraged other women to rally around her. Together they made the spiraling crime rate against women a hot topic in Guam — and Monique refused to be swept into silence under the rug.
Learning that the case against one of her attackers had been dismissed, Monique bravely spoke out against her revictimization by the judicial system. But not before her attacker was re-arrested for yet another crime against a woman in a Nimitz Hill home invasion.
“If you want to be heard then you have to be proactive and involved,” Monique explained as we stood by the soccer pitch. “I do not ever want to leave this world without making an effort to make it a better place. My favorite motto, from Mahatma Gandhi, ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world.'”
And so she is.
Thinking about these two amazing women helped me to better understand what courage is and where it comes from. You see, courage comes from love. Loving someone or something deeply gives you courage. The love both ladies shared for their families and their island, are reaffirmed in their courageous lives. Be love, Guam. Be courageous.
Courtesy of: GaumPDN