I know what you're thinkin'...

After reading through my blogs, you might be thinking, "Man, this girl is a feminist!" This is not so. I am not saying "Women can do everything better than a man" or "Women should be treated the same as men" or something along those lines. The bottom line is this...

We should be treated differently because we are different. Men and women are wired in different ways and so that calls for different action on both parts. But that doesn’t mean unfair action. We are both valuable and have certain tasks that the other sex cannot perform as well. 'Team' is the correct term when it comes to relationships.

I don’t think one sex is better than the other. I don’t think women are The Crap and therefore should be worshiped above all others. We are the weaker sex, but men have to be careful with that. What does that mean? Does it mean that we are weaker in certain areas and not others, or does it mean we are weaker in every aspect?

Women need to be protected and provided for, and men are naturally good at that. Those who abuse women are not included in this generalized statement. Women generally don’t mind taking care of things that support what a male is involved with. That fits the mans needs. It drives a man to great depths knowing that the woman he loves supports and cheers him on in his endeavors. For a womaon to be a man's playmate, one with whom he can run and jump and play around with, is high on his list of needs. Girls gotta know this.

When the rubber meets the...

During most kids high school years the idea that girls who 'got around' being thought of as trashier than the boys who were into the same behavior was culturally understood. As I'm finishing college, it seems that the system hasn't changed, but has it? Is it just me or has something changed in the way we divide blame?

While walking with a good friend of mine through the computer lab on campus the other night I passed a couple sitting on a couch close together, looking over school material. My friend said to me (while maintaining eye contact with the gentleman in reference, ‘Whore.’ I thought "What in the world has gone on between these two?" She explained that she and this dude had made-out the other week and now he was with some other chick. Hmmm...

Another reference. During a conversation with a girlfriend of mine, a guy she knew walked passed us and she felt inclined to tell me, "Stay away from that guy, he’s dirty." Is this all new or is something around here changing?

Back in the day the guys who were ‘experienced’ were the guys that all the girls wanted to get with. And all the girls who had ‘experience’ were the ones that guys wanted to stay away from. It doesn’t seem to me that that form of doctrine is followed anymore. I sure hope not. I kinda wanna hear that guys are being held to some type of standard.

So hearing ‘Man Whore’ makes me smile…so what?!

A very stupid thing...

Going back to the subject of where people get their ideas from; I touched on my hunch that Disney movies kids grew up on hasn't helped them with the blow of reality.

CHARACTER EXAMINATION:
Ariel, the Little Mermaid: wants to have greater things and ends up with a stupid prince, who “loved whoever had that ‘voice,’” no matter how wonderful Ariel was. For this she gives up her world, her family, her fins. This we will call stupid devotion.

Belle in Beauty and the Beast also wants greater things and ends up with a rotten (oh, maybe he’ll change…) prince who at first worked on being nice to her only to break his curse. For this she gave up her plans and dreams of journeying in the world. Again, same diagnosis. Stupid.

Lastly, Aladdin: the princess in this story also gives up her dreams of venturing into the world, independently when her beggar-turned-prince takes her on a magic carpet ride. He fact that he is going to “show her the world” when he’s never seen it himself is null and void.

If you’re thinking these ‘fair tales’ do not apply to real life, think again! You have to keep in mind that billions of girls and boys who see these films are going to grow up believing this romantic nonsense and dreaming dreams that most likely turn into nightmares.

Who told you?

At some point in time you had to figure out what you thought about the opposite sex, but where did your idea come from? If you’re older then your parents and school teachers had a big part in shaping your perception. If you are under 30 then culture, media and your friends are to blame. I have a theory that kids who grow up on Disney movies and other obscenely unrealistic entertainment have an exceptionally hard time understanding that the creators of Disney don’t pipe ideas and conversations into your head while you are trying to live in the real world. You make habit the idea that life is beautifully scripted and that you always say the funniest, most clever thing anyone can think of. NOT so. Relating with the opposite sex isn’t easy either. You can’t make some sarcastic hurtful thing to someone and think it will roll off their back like life in sitcoms display. It’s NOT real. Knowing someone so different from you takes continuous hard work, home work and an open mind. Also having the understanding that you will always be surprised, disgusted and sometimes disappointed about the things that you discover, will again take you to that mutual place of…differentiation.

Here we go again!

Again, must I stand up for my capabilities? I don’t take the stand point I have because I think women should rule the world: men are doing fine with the positions they already hold and I don’t think much would be improved if a woman took their place. My sole purpose is to communicate to whomever I talk to that women do have qualities to be praised and they can handle some things that guys can’t. Case in point:

Yesterday, while at my retail job I stopped to talk with a man who was refilling our Pepsi cooler about he and his wife’s responsibilities with two jobs and how they juggle those and two small kids. I work with his wife at my property management job, as she holds a part time position after she forfeited her management position to have her youngest child. “I need her income, so we are trying to find out how to work her into that job again without leaving me to take my days off to watch the kids. It’s hard.” “What’s hard about it?” He answered, “Well, [Sarah] is a mommies girl and so mommy always has to be there or else I can’t get anywhere with her. [John] is still very young so he wants his mommy too.” Yea, it's hard, huh?!