Seven years ago I started watching Mad Men. On that first episode I was introduced to Peggy Olson. I didn't know it at the time, but Peggy was going to be one of those characters that settled into my very bones- Peggy was going to teach me something vital about myself. Tonight, seven years later, I watched the mid-season finale for the very last season of Mad Men and I couldn't take my eyes off Peggy.
See, I think most people assume Mad Men is about Don Draper. And of course we think that, because Don saunters into a room- shoulders back, whiskey in hand, suit- impeccable. Don owns the room- hell, Don is the room. And while we're all busy watching Don use that silver tongue of his to win clients and lie to his wife, we haven't noticed that Peggy walked into the room too. Peggy was just this girl who typed Don's schedule and made sure the bar in his office was stocked. She didn't know who she was or what she wanted. The words that were used to give value to women didn't apply to her: "beautiful," "mother," "sexy," "wife" and so Peggy spent a couple seasons trying to figure out what words did apply to her.
Over the years I've watched this girl stumble around like a newborn giraffe and the more she walked, the surer of herself she became. Each season Peggy stood a little taller, walked with a little more confidence and tonight she owned the room. As I listened to her pitch to a client I kept thinking about what she'd had to fight to get into that room. I thought about all the battles she'd been in just to earn a seat at the table and I was so proud of this fictitious character that my heart about burst.
It was smack in that moment of pride that I realized the imprint Peggy leaves on me because like Peggy, it took me a while to find my voice. Like Peggy the words society wants to use to add value to women don't necessarily apply to me, like Peggy I chose a profession that is largely dominated by men, and like Peggy it has taken quite a few stumbles before I figured out how to walk. I spent seven years watching Peggy succeed and fail, try and fall, and learn who she is. I hope someday I will look back on my own life and discover that my own stumbles helped wear a trail for those who will come after me.
