How Dare They!

By carolynpayne

There is a particular type of woman; a rare and diverse breed,
a woman who will dare to test boundaries, a woman who will dare to succeed.
Unfettered by convoluted circumstance, undaunted by the size of the fight
She’s a headstrong force to be dealt with, conscientious, full of gumption, blessed with insight.

How dare she depart from the usual path to take the road few travel.
How dare she follow her own conviction — her own destiny to unravel.
The first woman elected bishop, the first woman ordained to preach,
the first woman to demand the vote, and simple freedom of speech.

The first Superintendent, the first to pen a hymn, the first to challenge what’s not allowed,
the first to stand up, the first to stand out, the first to plough furrows never ploughed!

The first of her race, the first of her gender, the first to spread her wings and fly!
The first to look at the world around her and say if they can do it, so can I!

They dared to unshackle the heavy burden of being born a mere female!
They dared to be the first to do it, they dared to blaze their own trail.
It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon once the hay has been comfortably softened;
so…., dare to pick up the pitchfork yourself, and dare to do it more often!

It’s no accident you’re here at this time and in this place,
true….most of us won’t make history, but all can be in the race.
So gird up your loins girls, and remember this battle cry…
“I may not be the first one to dare it, but I won’t be the last one to try!”

 

Written by carolynpayne, and shared at the conference executive committee meeting on February 12, 2017. Carolyn currently serves as Historian for Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women. She lives in Clemmons, North Carolina.