The Realities of Handling Sexism With Grace

Claire Heginbotham
5 min readSep 19, 2022

Despite my profession being that of copywriter, I’ve never considered myself much of a “writer”. Because it’s not passion I have, it’s need. Its a need that crops up when complex emotions arise and no amount of spoken conversation will resolve the feelings. This article is here to tuck those feelings into bed, give them a kiss on the head, and say goodnight. If you too are struggling with sexism, I encourage you to try writing a similar article. For you cannot change the world, you can only change yourself and hope the world notices.

Backstory.

At the age of twelve, I was introduced to the world of boating. Instead of a gentle cruise, my father, myself, my friend, and my younger brother were all at the behest of a raging southeast wind that threatened to topple our teeny yacht over. Despite our safe return to sweet, sweet land, I wouldn’t step foot on a yacht for the rest of my childhood.

At the age of twenty-one, I was rough, stubborn, angry, and in an overwhelming storm of emotions, that threatened to take my life. I wanted to fight the world, and I wanted to fight myself. Growing up, my undiagnosed BPD mother had taught me that I wasn’t allowed to be soft (or as I mistakenly interpreted, “girly”). I was simultaneously looking for a fight, desperate to prove myself, craving punishment, and…

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Claire Heginbotham

Tech and travel copywriter who writes content, kickass websites, and emails that convert. Low key Star Trek fan.