I went to a training today in which one of the professors, which is a brave woman, was talking about how invading other people’s home for therapy can create really damage for some families, instead of helping them. I so value the fact that that was coming from a woman in a position of some power, such as is her position as a professor, and Caucasian woman.

It got me thinking on the complexity of relationships, and how we can get effects over others without even knowing that.

I thought about her, and thought about my own assumptions of her before I start this program. Before I get into the program I did my research on the professors. I made assumptions about her. I thought that from all of the professors she was probably the one that I wouldn’t be able to relate at any level. That we didn’t have anything in common. I thought I knew all about her and was intimidated of her as well. She represented fears, and some of the general stereotypes that I was against. I was wrong.

After some time of getting to know her ideas, her previous experiences, and her way to interconnect personal experiences of fighting against labels, norms, and patriarchy, really relates to my own experience as a woman that is on her search of becoming closer to fighting some norms, that doesn’t fit with me anymore.

I like to interact with women like her. With women that have what I don’t have, women that have what I want.

Qualities that are at some place hidden in me, that I need to find out.

I am continually thinking about power and the relationship with power between women. I think on my own biases against her and biases that women that inspired me had about me.

I think on how other women may perceive me. And i think on the power that that perception may have on me. She told me once that i have a "desarming look."  I wasnt sure what that meant back then. But im thinking now that has something to do with this idea of being approachable, non judgemental. And im liking that idea. If there is something that i want to contribute to my identity is this piece of being just myself. with no pretensions. being natural and transparent about my intentions with people. In this sense, i guess im enjoying the fact that another woman gave me acompliment. And im really curious to have more ideas of other women about me, about others, about themselves, in this effort to construct our identities in ways that fit better for ourselves.