What do the Circular Saw, and Disposable Diapers have in common?

Turns out both the circular saw and the waterproof disposable diaper were invented by women. Yep, it’s Women’s History month, and I’m trying to think of how I can write this without complaining - how not to sound resigned.

I said to Amy, wouldn’t it be cool if we didn’t have Black history month, and women’s history month? Or Asian Pacific Islander Month (May), or Latin History month, Sept 15 through October 15. Like what if we just had history? What if we just told the truth?

I understand that each of these months is intended to “honor the contributions” of these populations, but instead doesn’t it make them all sound so … marginalized? So not central to the action? Sort of like at Thanksgiving dinner and the kids get acknowledged for setting the table? It feels to me like a SuperHero sidekick, or the also-rans in a race. It actually feels like setting aside a month to “honor their contributions” really just lends credibility to the white patriarchal history we’ve grown to know and reject.

Worst of all, when you pay any attention to all these ‘reasons’ for setting aside a month for recognition, isn’t it just an outright admission that the ‘contributions’ of these populations are not recognized the other 11 months of the year? Aren’t we saying that their work and efforts are just side lines to REAL history? Argh!

So, I guess I didn’t find a way to achieve my goal of not complaining. Sorry ‘bout that.

I tried to find a source of daily women in history emails a la the 28 Days of Black History, but alas, and unsurprisingly, I couldn’t find one. Instead, I googled women’s history daily and found this interesting list. And from there, I went on to find this cool list of things that women have invented, and I can tell you, this list was inspiring!