I found myself, beer in hand, staring at two naked women the other evening. A blank paper in front of me and charcoal in my hand my task was to capture their beauty with my amateur eye and unskilled hands. Together they posed: one, Amazonian in beauty, her curves defined by her strength, the other, softer but equally as beautiful. Their laughter added to their beauty and the joy of the evening.
Several times, as they stood still, I accidentally made eye contact with them. My eyes would drift up from their breasts and meet their eyes. My whole body would tense with the uncomfortableness of those moments - the moments that I was caught intensely gazing at their breasts, pubic hair, or the curve of their hips. I’d smile, awkwardly, and continue to capture their form on paper, focusing on the evening’s task.
I sat flanked by women who, like me, say yes to events such as this. These are my girls, the ones who invite me and the ones that I invite – all of us up for a challenge, all of us in a habit of saying yes. We say yes for the chance to exist, even for a night, outside of our comfort zones, in essence recapturing a piece of ourselves. It is in these moments that we can feel growth. It is with these women beside me that I remember who I was, who I aspire to be, who I am at the core.
So, for any women struggling to remember. You, yes you. It’s so simple. So very simple. Say yes. The more you say it and place yourself in the uncomfortable line of: What do I wear? Who’s going to be there? How late are we staying? and I’ve nothing interesting to say, the more offers will appear. Build back up your tribe of friends who ask and those who say yes when asked. Life happens here. Life happens when you say yes.