Article October 19, 2015 Issue

Who ‘has your back’?

Cheryl Ranson

If you’ve ever felt targeted or misrepresented, you know what it’s like to long for an ally. Someone who “gets” who you are and what matters to you. Someone who will stand up for you.

Sometimes friends or family fill this role, sometimes not. Even the most loyal of them isn’t always available or the best choice. Yes, anyone you look to for support is probably a decent person—you wouldn’t turn to someone who didn’t have stellar qualities, right? But even at its best, the human take on things depends on fluctuating viewpoints, moods, and circumstances. Not a recipe for always-dependable reliability or comfort.

One time I faced a whole battery of strong negative opinions from people who didn’t even know me well. I was applying for a position that had never been filled by someone with my background. Even my gender counted as a strike against me—only one woman had been accepted in the past. I was tempted to drop the whole application process—until prayer brought an advocate to light.

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