Sometimes your hardest part isn’t someone else’s, and that’s awesome
This article for Orange Coast magazine: 9 Reasons We Need an NFL Franchise in Orange County is one of my favorite pieces of work ever. It was a challenge on many levels, and so rewarding because of it.
Trying out for the football teams, both men’s and women’s, was NOT the hard part.
Writing the article in a tough format (each of the 9 reasons/stories must stand alone but also tie together) was not the hard part.
Reconciling my love for football and desire to play football with my feminist convictions was hard, but not the hardest part.
Writing negatively about something I so badly wanted to be positive was hard, but not the hardest part.
No, for me, the hardest part was preparing for and loving after the full page photo of me in a sports bra and shorts.
Long-time DailyHap readers know how hard I’ve worked for body love, acceptance, and confidence. I worked hard for this photoshoot (detailed here), and I am proud of it.
But it’s there FOREVER!
Many of the comments and feedback I’ve received from the article focused on how badass it was that I tryout for the teams, how inspiring it was for me to tackle something that intimidated me. They’re right, only what intimidated me wasn’t playing sports—I’m GOOD at that—what intimidated me was taking photos!
Which just goes to show you that the hardest part of anything is extremely personal. This is why we choose to rely on others. This is why we work in teams and groups. This is why we partner up—or get a coach.
Your hardest part is your hardest part, no matter how silly or small it seems. And that’s awesome!