Make Room

I discovered a new song yesterday, I believe, that I am COMPLETELY obsessed with, called “Make Room” by Zanqua.

(Yes, I realize this is AI, and as much as I do support musicians and artists, I can’t deny the connection to this song)

I got good at stepping sideways,

Letting everybody pass,

Learned to swallow every answer,

Before anybody asked,

Then I saw another woman,

Doing everything I’d done,

Holding back a whole damn thunderstorm,

To spare someone the rain.

So I moved a little closer,

So she lifted up her chin,

Funny how the air starts changing when nobody’s giving in.

Make room,

Make room, we’re coming through,

If there’s only space for one, then one won’t do.

Bring the nerve,

Bring the noise,

Bring the shaking in your voice,

There’s a hundred more behind me,

Make Room.

Make room.

There’s a woman in the doorway,

Still rehearsing her first words,

There’s another at the table,

Getting louder to be heard,

I have nothing left to prove by being stronger on my own,

What’s the point of getting through if I let that door swing closed,

Put a shoulder to the timber,

Put a boot against the frame,

Let them learn a hundred voices, let them learn a hundred names,

Make room.

Make room, we’re coming through.

If there’s only space for one, then one won’t do.

Bring the nerve,

Bring the noise,

Bring the shaking in your voice,

There’s a hundred more behind me,

Make room.

Come tired,

Come scared,

Come certain this won’t lead anywhere,

Come angry,

Come late,

There’s a hand on the door, there’s a foot in the way,

We can all go in,

We don’t have to be the same,

Put a shoulder next to mine,

Let the hinges take the strain,

Make room.

Make room, we’re coming through,

If there’s only space for one, then one won’t do.

Bring the nerve,

Bring the noise,

Bring the shaking in your voice,

There’s a thousand more behind us,

Make room.

Make room.

One holds the door.

One pulls us through.

One becomes a hundred.

Make room.

Okay, so the premise behind the song – or at least the reel where I found the song – has to do with women authors. Romantasy authors, specifically.

Probably because certain authors are HUGE in the spotlight at the moment – S.J.Maas, R.Yarros the 2 big ones – but there’s SO MANY amazing indie writers out there.

And as someone who is in the process of writing their first book (or 5…) I loved the message!

However, the song can be put to any male-dominated environment. Whether it’s the boardroom, a high executive position, CEO – or even, like my profession in the military!

There always seems to be an unspoken competition between women.

Why?

There’s room for everyone at the table.

At Fifty, I can count on one hand the number of female friends I have – two I’ve been friends with for about 20 years, one for about 17 years, and the other about 15 years.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had the desire to get more female friends, but it’s challenging when I’m battling decades of lived experiences that most women are “more trouble than it’s worth”. Especially as most women around my age have children. 

Hell – some have grand children!!!

Am I alone in this, or do other women in their late 40s/early 50s struggle with this?

Why is it so hard to let other women sit at the table?