When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Guinness Book of World Records, and I really wanted to set a world record myself. But there was just one small problem: I had absolutely no talent. So I decided to set a world record in something that demanded absolutely no skill at all. I decided to set a world record in crawling.
Waktu kecil, saya terobsesi dengan Guinness Book of World Records, dan saya sangat ingin membuat rekor dunia sendiri. Tapi hanya ada satu masalah kecil: Saya sama sekali tak punya bakat. Jadi saya putuskan untuk membuat rekor dunia dalam hal yang sama sekali tak menuntut keterampilan. Saya putuskan membuat rekor dunia dalam merangkak.
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
Now, the record at the time was 12 and a half miles, and for some reason, this seemed totally manageable.
Rekor pada saat itu adalah 12,5 mil, dan untuk beberapa alasan, itu tampak sangat mudah diraih.
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
I recruited my friend Anne, and together we decided, we didn't even need to train.
Saya merekrut teman saya, Anne, dan bersama kami putuskan, kami bahkan tak perlu berlatih.
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
And on the day of our record attempt, we put furniture pads on the outside of our good luck jeans and we set off, and right away, we were in trouble, because the denim was against our skin and it began to chafe, and soon our knees were being chewed up. Hours in, it began to rain. Then, Anne dropped out. Then, it got dark. Now, by now, my knees were bleeding through my jeans, and I was hallucinating from the cold and the pain and the monotony. And to give you an idea of the suffer-fest that I was undergoing, the first lap around the high school track took 10 minutes. The last lap took almost 30.
Di hari percobaan rekor kami, kami memakai bantalan furnitur di luar celana jin keberuntungan kami dan kami berangkat, dan segera, kami dalam masalah, karena celana jin itu menggesek kulit kami dan membuat lecet, lalu lutut kami terluka serasa digigit. Jam-jam berlalu, hujan turun. Lalu, Anne menyerah. Lalu, hari mulai gelap. Sekarang, lutut saya berdarah membasahi celana jin dan saya berhalusinasi karena kedinginan, rasa sakit dan aksi monoton itu. Dan sebagai gambaran tentang pesta penderitaan yang saya alami, putaran pertama di sekitar trek SMA memakan waktu 10 menit. Lap terakhir waktunya hampir 30 menit.
After 12 hours of crawling, I stopped, and I had gone eight and a half miles. So I was short of the 12-and-a-half-mile record.
Setelah 12 jam merangkak, saya berhenti, dan saya telah melewati 8,5 mil. Jadi saya kurang dari rekor 12,5 mil.
Now, for many years, I thought this was a story of abject failure, but today I see it differently, because when I was attempting the world record, I was doing three things. I was getting outside my comfort zone, I was calling upon my resilience, and I was finding confidence in myself and my own decisions. I didn't know it then, but those are not the attributes of failure. Those are the attributes of bravery.
Kini, selama bertahun-tahun, saya rasa itu kisah kegagalan memalukan, tetapi hari ini saya melihatnya berbeda, karena saat saya mencoba memecahkan rekor dunia, saya melakukan tiga hal. Saya keluar dari zona nyaman, saya menyerukan ketahanan saya, dan saya menemukan kepercayaan diri dan keputusan saya sendiri. Saya tidak tahu saat itu tapi mereka bukan atribut kegagalan. Mereka ciri-ciri keberanian.
Now, in 1989, at the age of 26, I became a San Francisco firefighter, and I was the 15th woman in a department of 1,500 men.
Kini, di tahun 1989, pada usia 26 tahun, saya menjadi pemadam kebakaran di San Francisco, dan saya wanita ke-15 di departemen yang berisi 1.500 pria.
(Applause)
(Tepuk tangan)
And as you can imagine, when I arrived there were many doubts about whether we could do the job. So even though I was a 5'10", 150-pound collegiate rower, and someone who could endure 12 hours of searing knee pain --
Anda bayangkan, ketika saya tiba, banyak yang meragukan kami saat melakukan pekerjaan itu. Meski saya atlet pendayung di kampus, tinggi sekitar 177 cm, berat 68 kg, dan seseorang yang bisa menahan sakit lutut 12 jam --
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
I knew I still had to prove my strength and fitness.
saya masih harus membuktikan kekuatan dan kebugaran saya.
So one day a call came in for a fire, and sure enough, when my engine group pulled up, there was black smoke billowing from a building off an alleyway. And I was with a big guy named Skip, and he was on the nozzle, and I was right behind, and it was a typical sort of fire. It was smoky, it was hot, and all of a sudden, there was an explosion, and Skip and I were blown backwards, my mask was knocked sideways, and there was this moment of confusion. And then I picked myself up, I groped for the nozzle, and I did what a firefighter was supposed to do: I lunged forward, opened up the water and I tackled the fire myself. The explosion had been caused by a water heater, so nobody was hurt, and ultimately it was not a big deal, but later Skip came up to me and said, "Nice job, Caroline," in this surprised sort of voice.
Suatu hari ada panggilan kebakaran, dan saat kelompok mesin saya berhenti, ada asap hitam mengepul dari sebuah bangunan dari sebuah gang. Saya bersama pria besar bernama Skip, dan dia memegang pipa semprot, dan saya tepat di belakang, dan jenis apinya khas. Apinya berasap, panas, dan tiba-tiba, terjadi ledakan, lalu Skip dan saya terlempar ke belakang, topeng saya terlempar ke samping, dan ada momen kebingungan ini. Kemudian saya bangun, meraba-raba pipa semprot, dan saya lakukan yang seharusnya dilakukan pemadam: saya menerjang ke depan, membuka air, dan saya menangani apinya sendiri. Ledakannya disebabkan oleh pemanas air, jadi tak ada yang terluka, dan itu bukan masalah besar, tapi lalu Skip mendatangi saya dan berkata, "Kerja bagus, Caroline," dengan suara terkejut begini.
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
And I was confused, because the fire hadn't been difficult physically, so why was he looking at me with something like astonishment? And then it became clear: Skip, who was by the way a really nice guy and an excellent firefighter, not only thought that women could not be strong, he thought that they could not be brave either. And he wasn't the only one. Friends, acquaintances and strangers, men and women throughout my career ask me over and over, "Caroline, all that fire, all that danger, aren't you scared?" Honestly, I never heard a male firefighter asked this. And I became curious. Why wasn't bravery expected of women?
Dan saya bingung, karena apinya tidak sulit secara fisik, jadi mengapa dia menatap saya dengan heran? Kemudian jelaslah: Skip, sebenarnya pria yang sangat baik dan pemadam kebakaran hebat, tidak hanya berpikir bahwa wanita tidak bisa menjadi kuat, namun juga tak bisa jadi pemberani. Dan dia bukan satu-satunya. Teman, kenalan, dan orang asing, pria dan wanita sepanjang karir saya menanyai saya berulang kali, “Caroline, semua api itu, semua bahaya itu, apa kamu tidak takut?" Saya tak pernah dengar pemadam kebakaran laki-laki ditanya itu. Dan saya jadi penasaran. Mengapa keberanian tidak diharapkan dari wanita?
Now, the answer began to come when a friend of mine lamented to me that her young daughter was a big scaredy-cat, and so I began to notice, and yes, the daughter was anxious, but more than that, the parents were anxious. Most of what they said to her when she was outside began with, "Be careful," "Watch out," or "No." Now, my friends were not bad parents. They were just doing what most parents do, which is cautioning their daughters much more than they caution their sons.
Jawabannya mulai datang saat teman saya mengeluh ke saya, bahwa putri kecilnya penakut, jadi saya mulai memerhatikan, dan ya, putrinya cemas, tapi lebih dari itu, orang tuanya cemas. Kebanyakan yang diucapkan padanya saat dia di luar dimulai dengan, "Hati-hati," "Perhatikan," atau "Jangan." Teman-teman saya bukan orang tua yang buruk. Mereka hanya melakukan yang kebanyakan orang tua lakukan, yaitu memperingatkan anak perempuan lebih banyak dari anak laki-laki mereka.
There was a study involving a playground fire pole, ironically, in which researchers saw that little girls were very likely to be warned by both their moms and dads about the fire pole's risk, and if the little girls still wanted to play on the fire pole, a parent was very likely to assist her. But the little boys? They were encouraged to play on the fire pole despite any trepidations that they might have, and often the parents offered guidance on how to use it on their own. So what message does this send to both boys and girls? Well, that girls are fragile and more in need of help, and that boys can and should master difficult tasks by themselves. It says that girls should be fearful and boys should be gutsy.
Ada penelitian yang melibatkan tiang api taman bermain, ironisnya, peneliti melihat bahwa gadis kecil kemungkinan besar akan diperingatkan oleh ibu dan ayah mereka tentang risiko tiang api, dan jika gadis-gadis kecil masih ingin bermain di tiang api, orang tua sangat mungkin membantunya. Tapi anak laki-laki? Mereka didorong untuk bermain di tiang api terlepas dari keraguan apa pun yang mungkin mereka miliki, dan orang tua sering memberi panduan tentang cara menggunakannya sendiri. Jadi pesan apa yang diberikan hal ini kepada anak laki-laki dan perempuan? Bahwa anak perempuan rapuh dan lebih membutuhkan bantuan, dan anak laki-laki bisa dan seharusnya menguasai tugas-tugas sulit sendiri. Katanya anak perempuan harus takut dan anak laki-laki harus berani.
Now, the irony is that at this young age, girls and boys are actually very alike physically. In fact, girls are often stronger until puberty, and more mature. And yet we adults act as if girls are more fragile and more in need of help, and they can't handle as much. This is the message that we absorb as kids, and this is the message that fully permeates as we grow up. We women believe it, men believe it, and guess what? As we become parents, we pass it on to our children, and so it goes.
Ironisnya, di usia muda ini, anak perempuan dan laki-laki mirip secara fisik. Faktanya anak perempuan lebih kuat sampai pubertas, dan lebih dewasa. Tapi kita orang dewasa bertindak seolah perempuan lebih rapuh dan lebih membutuhkan bantuan, serta tak bisa menangani banyak hal. Ini pesan yang kita serap sebagai anak-anak, dan ini pesan yang sepenuhnya meresap saat kita tumbuh dewasa. Kami wanita percaya itu, para pria juga, dan coba tebak? Saat menjadi orang tua, kita mewariskannya pada anak-anak, dan begitu seterusnya.
Well, so now I had my answer. This is why women, even firewomen, were expected to be scared. This is why women often are scared.
Sekarang saya punya jawaban saya. Ini alasan wanita, bahkan pemadam kebakaran wanita, diharapkan takut. Ini alasan wanita sering takut.
Now, I know some of you won't believe me when I tell you this, but I am not against fear. I know it's an important emotion, and it's there to keep us safe. But the problem is when fear is the primary reaction that we teach and encourage in girls whenever they face something outside their comfort zone.
Saya tahu beberapa dari Anda tidak akan memercayai saya, tapi saya tidak menentang rasa takut. Saya tahu itu emosi yang penting, dan ia ada untuk membuat kita tetap aman. Tapi masalahnya adalah ketika rasa takut jadi reaksi utama yang kita ajarkan dan dorong pada anak perempuan tiap kali mereka menghadapi sesuatu di luar zona nyamannya.
So I was a paraglider pilot for many years --
Saya menjadi pilot paralayang selama bertahun-tahun --
(Applause)
(Tepuk tangan)
and a paraglider is a parachute-like wing, and it does fly very well, but to many people I realize it looks just like a bedsheet with strings attached.
dan paralayang seperti sayap parasut, dan ia terbang sangat baik, meski banyak yang bilang bentuknya mirip seprai yang dipasangi tali.
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
And I spent a lot of time on mountaintops inflating this bedsheet, running off and flying. And I know what you're thinking. You're like, Caroline, a little fear would make sense here. And you're right, it does. I assure you, I did feel fear. But on that mountaintop, waiting for the wind to come in just right, I felt so many other things, too: exhilaration, confidence. I knew I was a good pilot. I knew the conditions were good, or I wouldn't be there. I knew how great it was going to be a thousand feet in the air. So yes, fear was there, but I would take a good hard look at it, assess just how relevant it was and then put it where it belonged, which was more often than not behind my exhilaration, my anticipation and my confidence. So I'm not against fear. I'm just pro-bravery.
Dan saya menghabiskan banyak waktu di puncak gunung untuk menggembungkan seprai ini, lari dan terbang. Saya tahu yang Anda pikirkan. Anda pasti, Caroline, masuk akal sedikit takut di sini. Dan Anda benar, itu menakutkan. Saya yakinkan, saya memang merasa takut. Tapi di puncak gunung itu, menunggu angin yang tepat datang, saya juga merasakan banyak hal lain: kegembiraan, kepercayaan diri. Saya tahu saya pilot yang baik. Saya tahu kondisinya baik, jika tidak saya tak berada di sana. Saya tahu betapa hebatnya berada 1.000 kaki di udara. Jadi ya, rasa takut ada, tapi saya akan memerhatikannya dengan baik, menilai seberapa relevan itu lalu meletakkannya di tempatnya, yang lebih seringnya di belakang kegembiraan, antisipasi, dan kepercayaan diri saya. Jadi saya tidak melawan rasa takut. Saya hanya pro-keberanian.
Now, I'm not saying your girls must be firefighters or that they should be paragliders, but I am saying that we are raising our girls to be timid, even helpless, and it begins when we caution them against physical risk. The fear we learn and the experiences we don't stay with us as we become women and morphs into all those things that we face and try to shed: our hesitation in speaking out, our deference so that we can be liked and our lack of confidence in our own decisions.
Saya tidak bilang gadis-gadis Anda harus menjadi pemadam kebakaran atau mereka harus bisa paralayang, tapi, kita membesarkan gadis-gadis kita untuk jadi pemalu, bahkan tak berdaya, dan itu dimulai saat kita memperingati mereka tentang risiko fisik. Ketakutan yang kita pelajari dan pengalaman yang tidak, tetap ada seiring kita menjadi wanita dan berubah jadi semua hal yang kita hadapi dan coba lepaskan: keragu-raguan kita dalam berbicara, sikap sopan kita agar kita disukai dan kurangnya percaya diri pada keputusan kita sendiri.
So how do we become brave? Well, here's the good news. Bravery is learned, and like anything learned, it just needs to be practiced. So first, we have to take a deep breath and encourage our girls to skateboard, climb trees and clamber around on that playground fire pole. This is what my own mother did. She didn't know it then, but researchers have a name for this. They call it risky play, and studies show that risky play is really important for kids, all kids, because it teaches hazard assessment, it teaches delayed gratification, it teaches resilience, it teaches confidence. In other words, when kids get outside and practice bravery, they learn valuable life lessons.
Jadi bagaimana kita menjadi berani? Nah, inilah kabar baiknya. Keberanian dipelajari, dan apa pun yang dipelajari, hanya perlu dipraktikkan. Jadi pertama-tama, kita harus tarik napas dalam-dalam lalu dorong gadis-gadis kita untuk main <i>skateboard</i>, memanjat pohon dan memanjat tiang api di taman bermain itu. Inilah yang ibu saya sendiri lakukan. Dia tidak tahu saat itu, tapi para peneliti punya sebutannya. Namanya permainan berisiko. Penelitian menunjukkan, permainan berisiko sangat penting bagi semua anak, karena mengajarkan penilaian bahaya, mengajarkan kepuasan yang tertunda, mengajarkan ketahanan, dan kepercayaan diri. Dengan kata lain, ketika anak-anak keluar dan berlatih keberanian, mereka belajar pelajaran hidup berharga.
Second, we have to stop cautioning our girls willy-nilly. So notice next time you say, "Watch out, you're going to get hurt," or, "Don't do that, it's dangerous." And remember that often what you're really telling her is that she shouldn't be pushing herself, that she's really not good enough, that she should be afraid.
Kedua, berhentilah memperingatkan gadis-gadis kita mau tak mau. Perhatikan lain kali Anda berkata, "Hati-hati, kau akan terluka," atau, "Jangan lakukan itu, berbahaya." Ingatlah yang sebenarnya sering kali Anda katakan padanya ialah dia tak boleh memaksakan diri, dia tidak cukup baik, makanya dia harus takut.
Third, we women have to start practicing bravery, too. We cannot teach our girls until we teach ourselves. So here's another thing: fear and exhilaration feel very similar -- the shaky hands, the heightened heart rate, the nervous tension, and I'm betting that for many of you the last time you thought you were scared out of your wits, you may have been feeling mostly exhilaration, and now you've missed an opportunity. So practice. And while girls should be getting outside to learn to be gutsy, I get that adults don't want to get on hoverboards or climb trees, so we all should be practicing at home, in the office and even right here getting up the guts to talk to someone that you really admire.
Ketiga, kita para wanita juga harus mulai melatih keberanian. Kita tak bisa mengajari putri kita sebelum mengajari diri sendiri. Jadi, inilah hal lain: ketakutan dan kegembiraan terasa sangat mirip -- tangan gemetar, detak jantung meningkat, ketegangan saraf, dan saya bertaruh kebanyakan Anda saat terakhir kali mengira Anda ketakutan, mungkin Anda merasa sebagian besar kegembiraan, dan kesempatan telah Anda lewatkan. Jadi berlatihlah. Dan sementara anak perempuan harus keluar untuk belajar berani, saya paham orang dewasa tak ingin naik <i>hoverboard</i> atau memanjat pohon, jadi kita semua harus berlatih di rumah, di kantor, dan bahkan di sini, bangun nyali untuk berbicara dengan orang yang Anda kagumi.
Finally, when your girl is, let's say, on her bike on the top of the steep hill that she insists she's too scared to go down, guide her to access her bravery. Ultimately, maybe that hill really is too steep, but she'll come to that conclusion through courage, not fear. Because this is not about the steep hill in front of her. This is about the life ahead of her and that she has the tools to handle and assess all the dangers that we cannot protect her from, all the challenges that we won't be there to guide her through, everything that our girls here and around the world face in their future.
Terakhir, saat gadis Anda, katakanlah, naik sepeda di puncak bukit curam yang dia bersikeras dia terlalu takut untuk turun, bimbing dia mengakses keberaniannya. Pada akhirnya, mungkin bukit itu memang terlalu curam, tapi dia akan sampai di kesimpulan itu melalui keberanian, bukan rasa takut. Karena ini bukan tentang bukit terjal di depannya. Ini tentang kehidupan di depannya dan bahwa dia memiliki alat untuk menangani dan menilai semua bahaya yang tidak dapat kita lindungi darinya, semua tantangan yang kita takkan ada di sana untuk membimbingnya, segalanya yang gadis-gadis kita di sini dan di seluruh dunia hadapi di masa depan mereka.
So by the way, the world record for crawling today --
Jadi omong-omong, rekor dunia untuk merangkak hari ini --
(Laughter)
(Tawa)
is 35.18 miles, and I would really love to see a girl go break that.
adalah 35,18 mil, dan saya sangat ingin melihat seorang gadis memecahkannya.
(Applause)
(Tepuk tangan)