My fears of inadequacy proved unfounded when after my book was published the head of toxicology at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta praised my work on National Public Radio. But here is the rub. What if I had let those fears keep me from writing my book or taking a stand on that podium before 1,000 women? I would have silenced myself.
We live in a country where women are allowed to air their views without fear of retribution and believe me that is not the case throughout the world. In America men and women alike have a great responsibility to act as citizens and join the debate about issues of importance and yet half of us are unwittingly opting out because we don’t see ourselves as important enough or “expert” enough.
Some things, however, are just too important to keep quiet about. The Great Lakes near where I grew up, for example, represents 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Yet they face an almost unending list of environmental threats.
The rates of learning disabilities and deficits are skyrocketing among children and many scientists fear that toxins like the ones in my hometown are the cause. Some even believe that chemicals in certain plastics could be one cause of the current rise in obesity. And those are just three things on the long list of things I really care about.
I bet you have a list too and if you are like most women in America that list might as well be your grocery list lying crumbled inside your handbag. Until and unless women choose to make themselves heard, the national debate will belong to those whose experience is not our own.
So here is what we must do. Pick up a pencil and begin. I know this is difficult, but I did it, and I gained a voice for myself in a debate I care about. In September on the very day I turn fifty years old, I will address a group of 300 people whose life work revolves around saving the Great Lakes at a conference hosted by the National Wildlife Federation and others. I couldn’t be prouder, I am still terrified, and, you know what, I can’t think of a better way to spend the day. This is, after all, about something much bigger than me. MCH BGGR THN ME.
