Lelia Murrieta, age 21

Tucson, Arizona

“Soy Una Mujer y no Puedes Detenerme”

Being a woman means looking over your shoulder; it means having to have eyes in the back of your head. One needs to have eyes darting at all times, to become a chameleon and blend in with the environment. Taught to walk in pairs, and never go anywhere alone less you want to end up like a statistic.

Despite the looks over the shoulder and the eyes one feels walking down the street, head down and headphones in- A woman is strong. I don’t want to say she bides her time or she’s too patient and silent, because a woman can be both a force and the calm before. A woman began the Earth and I can only imagine that a woman will end it, we come from woman and will return to her.

I look over my shoulder into the past, I understand that doesn’t help, but one looks to the past to better the future. I look over my shoulder into my future.

It gets better from here.