Smashing the Stereotype with the Real Trailblazers

Women have always been great preachers of humankind. We are going to talk about the Real Trailblazers who are smashing the stereotype. One such figure is Danielle Magee, who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to animal conservation and welfare by educating people domestically and internationally. Like her, many other women contribute significantly to the world of education and emerge triumphant. Another great example is Robin Norris Kendall, a writer, and editor, who has left an impeccable mark as an environmental educator with over 20 years of experience. Similarly, Joy Wolf has been aiding the global conservation leaders by working with the community for more than 40 years. These ladies are acting as solution providers to environmental troublemakers, and it has become imperative for us as parents, women, friends, or even acquaintances to impart the same to our younger generation. 

Reminiscences of Childhood and "The Brag Story"

Childhood is the phase that shapes most of your life. These educational ladies take immense pleasure in remembering their childhood and the instances that provided them with life lessons. Danielle grew up in a traditional Japanese American family where her parents always taught her the importance of respecting elders and listening to them. 

Likewise, Joy remembers her famous "Damn" incident and how she was scolded for mirroring her own mother, which ultimately helped, leading her to never use cuss words. Robin's "brag story" was also very heartfelt. She was just five or six when she was bragging about eating a whole spoonful of mustard, and her dad overheard her, leaving her with a life-long lesson where she fears bragging even now. On that note, Danielle added her mother's very famous line, "Don't show off; let your actions be the proof of your abilities." 

Discovering the Inner Voice and Way Forward

Danielle very gladly stated that she was fortunate enough to find her voice in her 20s when she always dreamt of working at SeaWorld and finally joined as an educator. She had that deep feeling of joy and pride in having something important to share and the belief that people would listen to her because of it. 

Robin said it was in her college, with all the veterans and good people around, where she found her voice and unboxed her liking for animals. Though COVID, isolation, and all the panic that the pandemic had created enabled her to find her voice again, she finds herself fortunate to be around people who were sick and be a small part of their healing journey. 

For Joy, the youngest of four girls, getting out of the scrambling environment and joining college was her first shot at getting to know herself better. Speaking of her journey at Sea World, she said, "We were the voices there, leading and supporting young women." She credited her foundational support from the family in helping her find her voice and be the woman that she is today. 

The Real Trailblazers and Hardships Back Then

Robin didn't consider her age group as the real trailblazers. For her, the ladies before the women's movement who worked really hard for their rights and contributed to making the workplace better for women after the 70s were the real heroes. According to her, they didn't have that much advantage also as they were very much at the tailcoat of the metamorphoses. "After all, we were not from the era of fast-paced Google searches, emails, and Skype calls," added Robin. 

Terming herself as more of a troublemaker than a trailblazer, Joy said she was the kind who would turn a book of thousand pages down to just convert a "No" to a "Yes." "Our journey was definitely tougher as we had to learn a lot by ourselves. The famous world wide web did not exist by then, and one needed to be smart in the absence of referencing," said Joy. 

Danielle also mentioned how they were the first to be exposed to a lot of information and how life was tough before the world wide web. Adding to it, Robin remembered her famous typo incident, where she had written "JJ Whale in her poo" in place of "JJ Whale in her pool." "My phone was continuously ringing, but it was so hard to fix it back then, unlike today when you can do it in seconds. I had to call the main server in Florida, and it took a day to finally fix it," said Robin. 

Influences and Struggle Bringing in Strength

Robin points out the darkness that she faced living with a depressed father who lost his brother in World War II and the minimal presence of her mother. "The isolation period during COVID was kind of tough for all of us. In hindsight, such struggle stories always cheer you up in the future as they remind you of where you came from," said Robin. 

Danielle agreed as she also has a history of struggles involving her parents. They met during World War II amidst sorrow, hindrance, and bloodshed everywhere. Despite all that, she believes that love and compassion, along with the presence of your own people around, can act as a common ground of prosperity for all. "Today's generation is very low on perseverance, and I see a lot of people looking for help as they are not able to cope with the hardships. It's kind of hard to see these tragic stories in front of you," quips Danielle. 

Adding to the discussion, Joy said that it's great if you have a supportive family, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. "Go on to meet people and stay connected with those who are there to help you, understand you in your tough times, have an ear to your problems, and a mouth to your solutions. The world is full of love, and it is your perspective, your effort, which can make this life a better or a juggling one. Always live to play another day," said Joy. 

The Final Thought on these Real Trailblazers

Stressing the need to save the environment, Robin said, "We only have one sensitive planet, and we need to take care of it and preserve it. The little kids need to get out of their video game screens and play with Mother Earth besides saving it." 

Danielle, on the other hand, has a different takeaway from life. "We have just one life, so don't be afraid of making mistakes and learning from them so that you can be yourself with no regrets," she added. 

Joy preached another message from her mother, who believed all girls were Cinderella's who needed to get home before midnight as nothing comes out of staying out after. "So be safe and reach home as soon as you finish your work as home is the safest place you will ever be," said Joy.