I will be damned....

"I would like to become madam president". I was only 9 years old. Then I was told women do not become presidents, not even in the United States. But I had heard, just around the corner (my family lived in Iran and India back then), there was a woman that finally became a Prime Minister and "that's like she is the president" my mom had explained to me.

That woman taught me I can become whatever I want to become.

My family is devastated, not because Bhutto was ever the greatest politician or never made mistakes in her life, but because she stood for a lot more than just politics. For me, she had changed the impossible since I was only 9 years old.

I lived in a third-world Muslim country for 19 years. I know how impossible it is for women to make it as leaders in society.

"Well, I just wanted to say, you know, the nail that sticks out is hammered down. She was only 54, 3 weeks younger than your father." I was told last night.

Her life was cut too short, but in her 54 years she did a lot more living than most people do in 70 years, and I'll be damned not to be another nail that has the courage to stick out.

I'll be damned....