Catching Lightening

What does "mainstream" mean to you? 

Over the years mainstream to me has come to mean sweet fuck all.  Mainstream or often time social norms, has given us a culture of permissiveness to all the "isims" and negativity that has feminists and out of the box thinkers shouting louder than Susan Powder "stop the insanity!"  Mainstream thinking would have us believe that rape culture is the norm and ok.  That women are still best when married with children, and far too emotional than men. 

Mainstream has young girls believing that numbers are important; and yes they are if you are an economist, a mathematician, a scientist, or any of the other jobs that require an acute attention to numbers.  However mainstream isn't focusing on those things are they?  No they are focusing on the size of our breasts, waists, age, and height to weight ratio.  Mainstream has us focusing on having the perfect beach body, and so many other harmful stereotypes. 

There are so many more glass ceilings to break through, chains to break, minds to expand, and souls to set a blaze with a passion for so much more than what is to be accepted as the norm.  My visions of life at 50 and beyond has nothing to do with slowing down, finding a cozy sweater, or of thinking about retirement.  I've always said that I haven't a problem settling down, its the settling that I will continue to push back against.  As though because of my age I must slow down and just accept that this is how it is and is going to be. 

Fuck that!

I have zero fucks for societal norms and the expectations that those whom follow mainstream thoughts hold for me.  Mature women are far better at catching lightening then men are.  We can adapt faster and understand the value of catch and release like few others.  Our value does not decline as we age.  Our power grows exponentially with each year and every new experience. 

We don't often see that, and it's merely because it's not part of the social norm.  There are those of us whom are changing that.  We are pushing back against what is expected of us and showing other's that what we expect of ourselves is of far greater importance and value.  We are changing the game, changing the narrative, and changing what the face of maturity looks like.  We are walking, lifting, and powering our way through those barriers both in and outside of the gym. 

Each of us has the ability to change the minds, hearts, and thought process of not only ourselves but those around us.  We are a GRRRL ARMY and we will not be stopped by anyone.  We are mothers, sisters, grandmothers, friends, lovers, and we will not stand by silently as has been so often the expectation.  We will not allow our worth to be defined by our size or our age.  She is not my competition, she is my equal even in all of our beautiful, powerful differences.

KO Founder of GRRRL Clothing