I know that I often put on my partisan hat and give you my opinions on a candidate. For this post, however, I'm going to take off that partisan hat and share with you, why Hillary Clinton, regardless of her politics, is a true inspiration to myself and surely others.
Hillary grew up in a conservative family in Chicago. Although she never expressed thoughts about running for President, from a very young age Hillary knew she wanted to be in public service. As she progressed through high school, Hillary became more and more interested in politics. This growing interest led her to major in political science in college.
Always considering herself "liberal at heart", Hillary finally broke away from her conservative roots when she realized the underhanded tactics and politics of the Republicans under Richard Nixon (the same tactics and politics that continue today).
One could speculate, as I do, that although Hillary never explicitly said that she wanted to be President, she always had the desire to serve her country in that utmost capacity. The sad thing was that then, and arguably up to a few years ago, the idea of a female running for President, much less being President, was laughable to say the least.
Then, Hillary's world changed. She fell in love with Bill Clinton. She cared so deeply for Bill that she selflessly gave up her career ambitions to move to Arkansas with him. At that time Bill was a failed politician, in debt over $40,000 due to a failed run for Congress. Little did she know that Bill would one day be President.
When Hillary got to Arkansas, she planned on joining the Marines. She wasn't allowed though. The recruiter told her, "You're too old and you're a woman."
A few decades later, Bill Clinton won the White House and Hillary changed the role of First Lady as it was then known. Hillary, continuing to show her strong leadership qualities, refused to just sit back and "be quiet" as previous first ladies had been. Hillary continued her tireless quest for women rights across the globe. She continued to fight for American families and children. Hillary, however, was even more than just a force in domestic policy; she used her position to travel to and influence foreign countries and their policies.
When Bill left office, Hillary could have just let herself fade into the background. But no, Hillary wasn't finished with public service. She decided to run for New York Senator, and surprised many when she was able to overcome the many stereotypes to win the seat.
Now, after serving in the Senate for almost 7 years, Hillary is running for President. Why is this story so inspirational you might ask? Simple. It's not just about women, it is about every single person who was told that he/she could do something because of their age, skin color, ethnicity, physical appearance, gender, etc . It's inspirational to know that you can break away from your family's ideals and traditions and be your own person. It's inspirational to know that you don't have to sit complacently in the background and let someone else overshadow you. That is what Hillary's story teaches----the lesson to be who you want to be and do whatever you want to do and to never let anyone discourage you from chasing your dreams because, who knows, those dreams might just become reality.
