Last weekend was typical for us in that Hubs had to work.

Translation: The E-man became an unenthusiastic participant in Race for the Cure.

“Mom,” my 7-year-old hissed, eying the sea of pink surrounding him. “There are no boys walking.”

Which was pretty much true. The boys his age were hanging with their dads along the Race route. Or they were in strollers and oblivious to all that pink.

But the E-man was a good sport. We zipped through the route and then headed to the Clinton Presidential Library for the Girl Scouts’ Our Journey to the Ballot Box event.

You see, in conjunction with snagging the 19th Amendment for an exhibit, the Library also helped the Council’s older Girl Scouts put together a program that illustrated just how much work it took for women to finally win the right to vote.

Again, the E-man was a good sport. He enjoyed his tour of the Library. He patiently watched as the girls fashioned sashes and suffragist pennants. At lunch, he raced across the library grounds with a swarm of Girl Scouts.

(Yes. The E-man was THE ONLY BOY present.)

Anyway, after several hours of learning about the 19th Amendment and prepping for their own suffragist parade, the girls gathered for a group portrait.

As we paraded around the library, the girls chanted:

“Women fought for it! You should support it! Vote, vote vote!”

I was so proud of them!

However, as we marched, I noticed the E-man lagging behind.

By the time we passed the Cheese Dip Festival, which also took place Saturday at the Clinton Library, he not only was way, way in the back, but parallel to our little parade.

“E-man, what’s the problem?” I asked.

“Mom,” he whispered. “This is SO EMBARRASSING. I can’t keep marching with a bunch of girls.”

The E-man, it seems, had finally reached his limit.

And while, yes, I could understand his pain — not the pain of being surrounded by girls, but that which stems from a fear of performing in public — I was so, so happy to see my little man hanging tough last Saturday.

Because just as I am proud of Tootie for being one of only seven girls to sign up for basketball (along with 70 or so boys) I am proud that the E-man took an interest in such an important part of history for women.

And while he may not have enjoyed the suffragist parade, he now understands the kind of courage it took for women of that time to put themselves out there.