By Stacey Brensrud
Revelstoke. We are the ultimate microcosm; a bustling dot on the map in the middle of nowhere. People are doing everything they can to get in, which is still quite unbelievable after decades of watching how difficult it was for so many who were trying to get out.
There is glorious adventure and escapism in the isolation of this town. Breathtaking mountain vistas, treacherous highways. Incomparable skiing, while the rumbling snow blower chews through countless precious hours of this life. It’s the best place in BC to raise kids, but a challenging place to live once you grow old.
As we approach International Women’s Day, what better time to ponder the ways that our unique community is shaped by the diversity of its women?
Here in Revelstoke, women are elected officials, business owners, lawyers, and members of the RCMP. We’re engineering the design for your dream house, and we’re putting your leg back together in the ER. Then we go home and put the bread in the oven while slicing the fruit for tomorrow’s ski hill lunches, abruptly remembering that we forgot to buy dog food on the way home from feeding the horses. Some of us kiss our little ones good night, then collapse into the office chair and roll up to the desk to work on a Master’s Degree. A tumbleweed of dog hair goes by. Some of us head off to board meetings and some tackle volunteer work. Others spend the night under the stars driving the noisy train, piercing the silent darkness through the mountains. The patrons are unaware of the work we are doing to maintain the sense of control in the buzzing chaos of the restaurants and bars. We drive you home afterwards when
you call a taxi. The perfection of this life is hidden in each imperfect day. As we strive to achieve balance, we find bits of magic in our daily commitments and continue to build the very best lives that we can.
March 7 is a day to celebrate the grace, the strength, the softness, and the tenacity of women across this Earth. In Revelstoke, we can celebrate our freedom to fight for true equality. Our achievements are both fueled and tempered by the innate awareness that women continue to be marginalized all over the world. Let it be an inspiration to those who face oppression based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, or socio-economic status. We’ve come a long way, knowing that our progress might pave the way for others.
Women in Revelstoke continue to lift each other up and support each other’s life experiences as individuals, wives, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters and friends. We have defined our own local community values. When we share our strengths, we dilute our weaknesses.
Women can do it all. Some don’t have to. We don’t have to want to. But we have the freedom to exercise our hard-won power of choice.
This is a good life, as a woman living in Revelstoke. It is worthy of celebration.
International Women’s Day is on Friday, March 8 2019.
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