I have made yet another affirmation to pay more attention to the good side of things. Not easy for a melancholy goddess or a raging one, but important. So here is a nice story for you:
AS the gregarious Ronaldinho, one of the world’s best soccer players, emerged this month from the locker room in his black-and-red Flamengo club jersey and pulling at his trademark ponytail, fans erupted in applause. But a group of shirtless men in the seats below had their sights on someone else, turning toward a private box above and chanting.I can't help if my fingers itch to point out that Ms. Amorim's job obstacles are not just the usual ones but the extra ones created by people who don't believe a woman is up to the task. But to defeat all of those obstacles surely should make her feel victorious, for the moment, at least. More importantly, it changes stereotypes over time to have women in new roles. The progress is excruciatingly slow, however.
“Pa-tri-cia! Pa-tri-cia!” they shouted. “We love you!”
Patricia Amorim, the president of Flamengo, Brazil’s most popular sports club, blushed and acknowledged them with a small wave.
It was a hopeful moment for Ms. Amorim, a former Olympic swimmer, after a year to forget as the first woman to run the 115-year-old club.
...
As Ronaldinho took the field this month, there were no fans urging Ms. Amorim to “go back to the kitchen” or to “go take care of the house and kids,” as she said they did last year.
“People underestimate you,” she said. “Now, I think they are no longer underestimating me.”