Progress

It was one of my favourite days of the school calendar today, the final day of Book Week when everybody, pupils and teachers, gets the opportunity to spend the day in costume as a book character. Here's my costume.

I said to a couple of teachers how seeing one of the girls in my class dressed as Rey and carrying a light saber really bought home to me what a terrific character Rey is as girls can now join in Star Wars games not just as a princess, but as a full on warrior, battling it out alongside the boys as the toughest, coolest character of all. The girl in the Rey costume overheard me talking about her and came over to hear what I was saying. I explained it to her and then added, "When I was a boy, girls usually didn't play Star Wars games, and if they did, they just played the princess." She smiled, then walked away. The teacher I was talking to then laughed and said,

"And with that, she walked away, thinking, "So what, old man? Swinging a light saber with the boys is normal, isn't it?""

On a day when the world seems to be rapidly plunging backwards on social issues, Alabama, it is good to reflect on the tremendous gains which have also been made.