Ask That Ye Shall Receive

 I remember reading an article a year ago about a girl who wrote a letter to Steph Curry asking why she couldn't find any of his signature basketball shoes in women's sizes. That letter put Under Armour, the makers of Curry's kicks into a frenzy of activity, at the Golden State Warriors star's urging. A few short months later, there was a new version of the Curry Six, released just in time for International Women's Day. This news landed on me in two different places. First, there was the "of course they did, who wouldn't want a chance to market their sneakers to more than half the planet's population." The second reaction was a calmer, gentler appreciation for the response to an under-served group being recognized for their power not just as consumers but as athletes and fellow human beings. Steph said at the time, "She was focused on the opportunity for all girls, not just herself. She is inspiring, and wise beyond her years."

So there's a feel god story whose memory was sparked in me when I read about for 7-year-old Vivian Lord of Little Rock, Arkansas. Vivian wanted to know why there weren't any Army Women. Not in the actual Army, but the little green plastic toys that have been a staple of toy chests in America since the 1930's. So iconic are they playthings that they have been ensconced in the National Toy Hall Of Fame, as well as being featured performers in Pixar's Toy Story films. This is 2020, after all. Where are the Army Women? Vivian wrote a letter, not unlike that asking for equal representation on the basketball floor, asking for equal representation on the battlefield. The toy version, anyway. 

Not surprisingly, BMC Toys in Scranton, Pennsylvania answered the call and promised young Vivian that she would soon be able to send molded female figures into combat. So now, ninety years after the first batch rolled off the line, Vivian and children across this great land of ours can simulate death and dying for their country with co-educational battalions. 

And I'm not exactly sure if that's a win.