I apologize for taking last week off. Frankly, I just couldn’t. I couldn’t inspire or motivate, because I didn’t feel inspired or motivated. I felt deflated by the endless news cycle and the infighting amongst us on social media platforms. So I took a break – I spent the day I typically blog making my very first Julia Child recipe (chocolate mousse), and brought it to the house of a dear friend, to spend time with people who make me laugh and feed my soul. It was needed, and I highly recommend it. Maybe not the mousse endeavor, but taking time to pause and enjoy life. I think we need it now more than ever.

But now I’m back to the work at hand, the work of bringing you something that I hope will inspire.

Today, I bring you something a little different: a guest blogger.

For the better part of a decade, I have served my church community as a youth leader. This continues to be an overwhelming privilege I never anticipated. I often tell the girls I work with that I learn more from them than they could ever learn from me.

So when I found out one of my girls, now in her sophomore year of college, was attending the women’s march in Washington, I asked if she would report on her experience for my blog. I thought her perspective would be worth the read.

Abby is twenty years old. She is an honors student at the University of South Carolina. She cares deeply about women’s rights. She is also a born and raised Republican. 

And more and more, she is a representation of the generation to come. A generation caught in the middle of two parties they don’t wholly identify with. A generation coming of age in an increasingly volatile political climate. A generation forced to engage in unprecedented ways.

So without further adieu, a look at where many of us actually lie – somewhere in the middle of the storm.

I was unbelievably conflicted when I voted. I received my absentee ballot and filled everything out, except the president. I let it sit on my desk for weeks. I tossed around the ideas of not voting , bubbling in all of the names, and writing in something entirely random. At the end of the day, though, I knew I had to vote, and I wanted to vote. You see, this was the first presidential election I was even eligible to vote in.

Also, I genuinely believe you do not get the privilege of complaining unless you vote.

My decision came down to my future and how I am currently equipped. I am a strong woman, and I stand up for myself. I am enrolled in college and am pursuing a degree in global supply chain management from the only business school in America named after a woman, Darla Moore. The shortage I see in my future is jobs. I want a job, and more than that, I want a career. I believed Hillary Clinton was not going to create the economic climate that would allow me to pursue my dream.

This decision truly tore me apart. I cried when I filled in the bubble next to Donald Trump’s name. But the decision I made was based upon the hierarchy of needs. As a nation, I believe we cannot create effective social change until we have come to a point of economic prosperity. To me, the needs of our nation were not being met.

Three months after I cast that ballot, I attended the Women’s March on Washington.

 

The rally was incredible at first. I was amazed by the sheer number of people there. There is something truly amazing when so many people come together, especially for a cause you yourself are so passionate about. I had my first ever “I can feel it in the air” experience; the energy was palpable.

The speakers were exceptional. Gloria Steinem spoke and floored me. Her eloquence and clarity in explaining the platform of women’s rights was commendable. Alicia Keys performed and was a show stopper. A nun spoke about acting with love and grace during trying times. Many speakers emphasized that the goal of our presence was to create a women’s rights agenda together, given the current administration, NOT to tear down the existing administration. I was genuinely inspired and impressed. I will never regret going.

However, there were moments where I was uncomfortable. I felt like I was the most conservative person there, aside from the Trump counter-protestors. In addition, there was a lot of hatred towards Christians in the crowd. I am proud that I am a Christian, and I have even worked in ministry. I do not care how you identify on the gender or sexual spectrum, I believe God calls us to show love to one another and reserve judgement for Him alone. Clearly to the people around me, this was not the attitude Christians have. It opened my eyes to the divisions across so many lines in America.

As a Republican, there were two speakers I really struggled with- a woman who had been incarcerated and a young girl whose parents illegally came to America from Mexico. The woman who spoke on behalf of incarcerated women did not impress me. I do not believe that prisoners deserve more rights. To me, if you break the law and go to prison, you do not get to have all of the rights everyone else does. Do I believe there need to be systematic reforms to the prison system? Yes, we can always improve, but no, prisoners do not deserve more. In regards to the girl from Mexico, I want you to be in America if that’s where you want to be. We are a nation of immigrants, and anyone who wants to come here legally and be a productive member of society should be able to do that. But we have laws, and we have to work within those laws. We should absolutely reform immigration. In the meantime, though, we cannot just break laws.

Although I didn’t agree with every speaker, I learned something from each of them – often about myself.

As a whole, I am glad I went. I was a part of history. I made myself and those around me really think and consider what it looks like to be a woman in America. This event also made me incredibly aware of the fact that politics are truly a spectrum. As a nation, we let ourselves become incredibly polarized.

So where do I go from here? My hope is that maybe in the next election I will see someone support both my economic beliefs and women’s rights.

Thank you for sharing, Abby. Your voice is being shaped by your experiences. And your voice  is one that will shape the future of America.