In celebration of Women’s History Month, I was asked to write about a woman who inspired me. I chose Lucille Ball. I can hear you thinking, why Lucille Ball?
I remember Lucille mostly from all the “I love Lucy” shows she starred in. I can remember how Lucy and Ethel would get into some of the most awkward situations but somehow make it through them. She would always make me laugh. Lucille had such a successful career in how she handled herself.
Lucille was the first woman to head a major Hollywood studio and then later sold it for 17 million dollars. The new owner changed the name to Paramount Pictures. She was named the “queen of comedy” who paved the way for many women comedians. I loved her entrepreneurial drive. She pioneered many new areas in her time. I am sure she heard many tell her she should not be acting or being a comedian, but she obviously did not listen. She made her mark and became the best in her era.
I think most all of us enjoyed Lucy and all the times she made us laugh. It seems the one thing she held tightly to was her confidence in who she was. She did things out of the ordinary and that is commendable.
Believing in you enough to take chances for success is a strong characteristic of a leader. I am sure that the road Lucille walked on was not easy, but she kept moving forward despite of others opinions.
Growing up, my family had a motto, “ When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I am sure Lucille might have said this a few times in her life as well. Remember to always move yourself forward as you follow your dreams. Lucille is a great one to inspire us all.
I’d love to hear in the comments below stories of women who inspired you.
Chantell
Chantell, I loved to watch the I Love Lucy show. Me and my brother would race home from school and watch the show. It came on at 4:00 every weekday. She was not only a funny lady, but a smart lady as you stated. I think we should have a I Love Lucy Day! The ladies could be Lucy or Ethel and the guys could be Ricky or Fred! Someone could even be Little Ricky! Thanks for bringing back her memory.
Lisa,
Great idea! The I Love Lucy Show was also apart of my life as well.
Chantell
Well of course I’ve been inspired by Chantell Cooley… But as a young person various characters in books that I read Ballet Shoes and Great Expectations had some female characters that I identified with. One person in my real life, growing up, was Sister Florecita who was the nun at our small Catholic Church, who taught preschool and our CCD classes through 10th grade. Sister Florecita could balance – she was tough as nails and kind compassionate and empathetic. She tuned into our moral development and taught us not be afraid to stick up for ourselves. Today, I work with a tremendous staff of female teacher – and their dedication to children and teamwork inspires me.
I am inspired by Maya Angelo because of her talents and literary works. She endured numerous hardships in her life including separation from her parents at an early age to live with her paternal grandmother. Marguerite (as was her real name) in her earlier life suffered emotional trauma because she was the victim of rape. Through it all, she overcame because of the strong family support.Maya is admired by me because she could have just stayed uninformed and not released her potentials in the racist era she grew in as a black woman. Instead, she developed on her basic education, acquired skills that led her into leadership roles. Ms. Angelou survived single parenthood, several broken relationships, grew her son to be a successful man despite it all. No wonder she is hailed by people all over as a phenomenon woman.