I’ve been a feminist for my entire life without fully understanding the words. I grew up as the neighborhood tom boy. I was a rough and tumble girl who played in the mud with worms and dinosaurs. I had been saying “no” to what is considered to be feminine ever since I could speak. I played with insects from when I was a toddler looking at aphids, so my mom bought me the Audubon Society Guide to Insects and Arachnids. I had so many people tell me that I should act more like a girl and I said no. It was my parent’s divorce that solidified it. I saw my mom lose her entire identity after and I decided I wouldn’t go through that. I’ve been an advocate for women’s equality and making our own decisions in life ever since, but now I have the proper words for feminism. It really helped that my mom was a feminist from the 70s.