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| Lady!! The ultimate girl's girl as well as my favorite Disney princess :) |
Gender roles are issues I consistently discuss in “The Open Book,” not only to express my opinions regarding the subject, but because the mental, social, and natural differences between men and women truly fascinates me. I believe that no one should ever feel ashamed of the individual he or she may be, or of the individual he or she may hope to become, whether it’s based on our sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, cultural background physical appearance, or economic circumstances. The only reason anyone should ever feel ashamed of their persona is if they are unquestionably corrupt, completely dissociated from their role as a human being - embodying the definition of hatred and disgust.
Though I feel sad and incredible pity for individuals who stray from compassion, kindness, and morality (which is innate in every individual - even if you haven’t discovered the goodness of the human spirit yet - it’s in all of us), I am not reviewing the matter of Good v. Evil in this particular investigation. Rather, I intend to briefly examine the reasons why we, as people, define one another, our culture, our society, and, most of all, ourselves and, specifically, why being *a British, shopaholic, spiritual, man-loving, shoe obsessed, book-worm, strong, food-cooking, passionate, Leo, philosophical, liberal woman* is the universe’s greatest gift. (*Challenge: replace the underlined statement with a description of your persona!! NO wrong answers!! :D ...And certainly NO judgment!*)
It’s no secret that I’m a girl’s girl through and through. I love shopping, clothes, boys, make up, jewelry, and every girly thing in between. I hate it when my nails aren’t polished and I cringe when boys find their flatulence humorous. Seriously, I hate it. I think it’s so disgusting and I will never comprehend, understand, or fathom why boys think farting (gosh, I hate that word..) is funny. It is so, so, so gross and I could rant about how much it repulses me all day. Ahh, I’m sidetracking - but, regardless of my personal likes and dislikes, it is clear, from my perspective at least, that we label, classify, and catalogue our social experiences, and we don’t even realize we’re doing it.
I’ve mentioned this before in “The Open Book,” but I’ve grown up in a household of women, and, to me, I genuinely believe that being a girl is such a blessing. Though there are stereotypical connotations associated with femininity, there are mysteriously natural, alluringly profound, and inexplicably wonderful aspects of the female experience. We have an unbelievable intuition, the capability to make men beg at our feet, and the talent of persuasion. These inherent characteristics are often ignored by our culture, men, and, sometimes, even our fellow women. In addition, unlike men, we are gifted with the capacity to think with our hearts, more so than our physical desires.
Especially in romantic relationships between men and women, the woman has much more power than she may realize. She is the one in control when it comes to, dare I say it, sex. Healthy relationships occur only when the female power is respected, appreciated, and loved. I’m not saying that boys aren’t allowed to have a say in a relationship, but it’s essential that a guy worship what women bring to the table, because all girls are simply amazing.
Before I began writing this post, I wanted to provide an idea of why I feel so fortunate in my identity as a girl, and how much I love being female, which, to a certain degree, I think I did. However, as I conclude this post, I’ve come to discover that no matter who you are, the way you label yourself, or the way others may label you, embracing your personal strengths, from your unique quirks to your endearing flaws, diminishes the counter-productive craft of stereotyping. Though some of my characteristics are representative of the stereotypical female, I do not see myself through such a negative label. Despite this, I am not afraid of defining myself for who I actually am, always aiming to cultivate the positive in myself and others.
I am Eloise Rose Banting.
I am female.
I am incredible.
Who are you?
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