Some little girls want to grow up to be mothers, who nurture their growing children into adulthood, to become conscientious members of the next emerging generation.....some little girls want to grow up to have an extensive career and make a successful contribution to the current generation in the burgeoning business world....and one particular little girl wanted to grow up to fulfill her lifetime dream of preserving this world we live in, through environmental conservation. Years later, she witnessed her own unexpected entry into the almost entirely exclusive man's world of race car driving....and eventually found a way to combine the two passions in her life, into a successfully fulfilling career.
Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the woman that this little girl has become...a large voice in a small body, who shakes up the racing circuit, as well as the environmentalist world, whenever and wherever her passion happens to takes her. She was the guest speaker at our annual Woman's United Way fundraising function, which was organized by my female co-workers and sponsored through various private law firms in the community.
Leilani Munter is an inspiration to all who meet her, a woman...who against all odds has made a name for herself in the extremely competitive, male-dominated world of NASCAR racing, and continues to give all of the other drivers, a run for their money, every time she steps out onto the track.
She is equally, if not more so, an extreme advocate of all things related to the conservation of this planet. Her first love as a child, and then as a biology major in college, has always been a desire to embrace and respect all living things, as she searched to understand why not everyone she encountered, wanted to preserve this world she so dearly loves.
Along this road of discovery, she has had many doors slammed in her face, and has heard the word "No" spoken to her more times than she cares to remember. She likens herself to the bumblebee, who has no idea it was not aerodynamically engineered to fly, however, against all odds--it does exactly that. Her passionate story will intrigue you from the moment she opens her mouth, her words ring true to all those who care to listen. She has a powerful message, that even the most stalwart naysayer, will sit up and pay attention to....they may not agree with her at first, however, she makes her statements with such conviction, you are bound to be moved by her continuing compassion for the state of our ever-changing environment. She has chosen a platform that she stands behind 150%, despite personal fears and misgivings, regarding her own physical abilities in some very tough situations.
Prior to our event, I took note of her recent participation with a group who are passionately spreading the news of a disastrous situation, through their individual involvement and production of the Academy Award winning film "The Cove". It is a saga, presented in a documentary format, that chronicles the horrific mass slaughter of hundreds of thousands of dolphins in Japan. This movie by far, affected me to the very core of who I am, as none other has in my entire lifetime. In a room full of 120 women and men, it was very disheartening to note that less than a handful had even viewed the film. As human beings, we possess an almost natural born duty, to participate in the preservation of all living creatures that share this planet with us, as well as our ever decreasing natural resources. I consider these fascinating creatures to be a form of enrichment, that serve to enhance our human race. Not a species which has evolved on this earth, only for us to eventually witness the irrational destruction of their very existence by greedy corporations.
I leave each and everyone of you with the task of viewing what is most often, at times, a very painful film to watch. However, in retrospect, that is precisely what the environmentalist group involved in this continuing project, intended at the outset...to make us uncomfortable enough to take notice and be aware of those who are systematically destroying a harmless species that existed long before man ever walked this earth.
http://www.thecovemovie.com/
One of Leilani's goals is to save the rainforest one race at a time....her story continues to inspire young women across this country.....please take the time to enter her world if for only a short time, to understand it is possible that even one small voice, can move a nation with it's message.
http://carbonfreegirl.com/
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