What Exactly Is A Dame?

 

So, what exactly is a Dame?

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The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a dame as a:

  1.   -woman of rank, station, or authority
  2.   – the mistress of a household
  3.   – the wife or daughter of a lord
  4.   -a female member of an order of knighthood
    and, my personal favorite……….
  5. -an elderly woman

I don’t know about you, but that is the driest, most boring definition I can imagine. Ok…so being a woman of authority…that works.  We are all daughters, and some Dames are wives.  Some are even, (gasp), elderly.  But that is where a dictionary dame and a true Dame….a Dame with a capitol “D”….part company.

When I hear the word ‘Dame’ I think of women with chutzpah, strength and attitude.

Gutsy women

Mae West was a Dame, as was Marlene Dietrich.  My all time favorite Dame is Jessica Tandy.  Jessica Tandy was in her 80’s when she skinny-dipped on screen in“Camilla”.  Only a true Dame would have done that!

And, Remember Whoopi Goldberg telling Reebok what they could do with their shoes on the David Letterman show?  Yep…she is definitely a Dame.  As a matter of fact, pretty much all of the View women are Dames!

These women are tough, beautiful, smart, loving, opinionated, brave, funny and talented.   Most of all, they are not afraid to let their Dame-ness shine out.  No hiding their lights under a bushel for these women.

So what about the other Dames out there?  Those that aren’t famous?  Let me tell you……Dames are everywhere!   When Trail Dames started up in 2007, Dames started crawling out of the woodwork.  They came from homes, jobs, suburbs and cities.  Some of them were 90 years old and some were only 20.  They truly were every shape and size, and came from every facet of society.  I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what would bind us all together.  There were some very disparate mind sets and I didn’t know if just being women was enough to provide a common ground for us all.

Throughout the last year, however, the deeper attributes of these women came out and through those, we found our connections.   You see, being a Dame isn’t just about being gutsy and strong.  It is also about being gentle and kind.  It is about letting your guard down and allowing the women around you to see your human-ness.  It is about feeling scared, but doing it anyway.

I see Dames on every hike we take.  A hiking trail will bring the Dame out in a woman faster than you can say ‘switchback’.  You can always hear belly laughter pealing out through the trees, and sometimes you can see the tears from an overwhelming week working their way to the surface.  You see Dames help each other up and over logs, and you see them give space to those needing some peace.

Yes, there are Dames everywhere.  And not a single one of them is represented by Merriam Webster.

What about you?  Who is your favorite Dame and why?  Click the comment button below and tell us about her……

Anna aka Mud Butt

What is “Trail Dames”?

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Welcome to the new Trail Dames blog! My name is Anna, but my hiking friends call me Mud Butt.  It is a name that has been honestly and hilariously earned, and one that I am proud to wear.  A year and a half ago, I became frustrated with the lack of women that I saw on hiking trails across the country.  Even more than that, I was disapointed by the lack of women that looked like me. So, I decided to do something about it.  Within hours, Trail Dames was born, and 350+ members later….we are going strong.

What is Trail Dames?  Trail Dames is a hiking club for women of a curvy nature.  A Trail Dame is someone that wants to go for a stroll in the woods.  To enjoy all of the beauty this world has to offer without worrying about running up the mountain or struggling to keep up with others.   A Dame might not know exactly how much she is capable of, but she knows that there is strength hidden within her.

This group was born to help women find that strength.  Oh….and then we plan on taking over the hiking trails of this country one mountain at a time.  Won’t you come join us?

Stay tuned to this blog.  You will hear stories of wonderful women getting in touch with their inner Dames, and who knows….you just might get in touch with yours.  In the next post, I will tell you about some of my favorite Dames and why they inspire me each and every day.  Until then… see you on the trails!

Anna aka Mud Butt