Some of my Thoughts.
Most of my blog posts have been a little more "material" if you will. Pictures of my husband and little girl and all the wonderful things we've done together. I do these posts because they are a quick easy way to document some of our fun life experiences and to give my family and friends quick updates on what we are up to- and I don't regret doing it, but I set up this blog with no premise other than to write about whatever I wanted. It's not a knitting or "mommy" or cooking blog. It's a me blog. And (shocking though it may be) I do have thoughts on things sometimes and I thought I would share some of my recent thoughts.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about what is termed "feminism," for me I define it as what it means to be a woman. At times I have thought of myself as feminist, others times not so much- and now I just don't care about the word because I feel like to call myself a feminist or not means to pin myself to one idea or another- and I refuse to do that. I do however want to acknowledge women (or men) who do view themselves as feminists because I love women and people and I love hearing people's views and ideas about life and how we can all get along and love each other more and provide for what each others needs may be. We don't all have the same needs. I think this is why I've "at times" struggled and backed away from the idea of feminism because I felt judged for not being feminist enough. I've read articles where women claimed that those women who were happy with their roles as wives or mothers were a product of a male dominant society brain washing them into thinking that way, and I simply don't agree with that.
I'm a "modern" woman in the fact that I work part time (often times more than part time) and also I'm a full time Mom. I work in the wee hours of the morning so I can come home and be with my baby. I do this because I want to, and being home with my baby is something that is important to me- not because someone told me so- but because I FELT so, it feels like who I am deep inside and fulfills me in a way that I can not describe. I also feel a sense of fulfillment from being a provider for my home and doing what I consider to be a contribution to society outside of the home. (I also think raising a child is a contribution to society.) I may not always work, but I do now and it works for me and I'm happy with it (most the time.) I also don't cook dinner every night. I do some nights when i want to- I enjoy it. I love to feed my family and be with them and give them something that makes them feel happy and loved. If I don't feel like cooking I don't, it's not an obligation for me. I don't iron clothes. I rarely wear makeup, and will cut off all my hair or dye it orange without a second thought to how "attractive" I'll still be to men afterwards. I don't feel the need to have my house (or myself) look perfect when my husband gets home. (I know that he loves me for who I am and not because he expects me to look perfect all the time.) And I make time to do things that are important to me. In these ways (although some women would disagree) I consider myself a modern woman and a modern mother.
All of these things come together in thoughts of what is the "role" of a woman. What does it MEAN to be a woman in our society, how should women act... what should a woman be expected to do etc. I ignore all these questions and for me it comes down to what are the gifts that I have been given by being born a woman into this world. That's how I choose to view being a woman. Let me explain.
I have felt in my own workplace on more than one occasion that men received unfair promotions, unfairly increased pay, or have under valued of the contributions of women. (These were very cut and dry circumstances.) I've felt that I've been treated like a sexual object at times, and felt that I have been treated like I was dumb or less than a man at times. (Not at work or at home.) I fully understand the struggles of women and I always strive for equal and fair rights. What I struggle with these days is the idea that we are the SAME as men and that being a man is better and we want to be able to be more like THEM. I can't help but feel that this is an underlying message I see in all this, and I hate it because I think women ARE different than men (and in my personal opinion) better than men.
Women have (on the whole) greater compassion and love for their fellow man. It is our birthright. Often that is why men have claimed we don't make good managers or leaders. That we are a weaker sex. I fail to see how being more loving, accommodating, and better listeners would make us worse bosses? (Maybe if your job as boss is solely to go around and fire people.) Women are better multi-taskers. This has been shown time and time again in studies. We are more motivated. We have such great ability to empower those around us. These days women receive more education and higher education than men on average. Women as wives, as mothers, and as single hard working people have formed society. I have read many articles pertaining to different ideas about education and even influences of things such as the Taliban. These articles stated that the greatest way to influence these societies was to educate the mothers. When the mothers were educated, so were their children- and it completely changed the society on the whole. Women who are not mothers influence society just as powerfully as Mothers in society. The impact I have seen of single women in my personal life is astounding. They don't choose to spend their extra time playing video games or watching pornography they get up and impact the world. I feel like I can't really put into words how great I feel that the power of women has been, will be, and still is in this world.
Throughout history women have had greater power to influence and they haven't needed (though they've deserved) great positions of leadership or power to do so. They also haven't needed any great recognition (also deserved) to continue their impact. One current example we see is in some of the extreme Islamic sects, they've learned the way to control the minds of these young men. They silence their women. It's absolutely the most powerful tool you can use because women have such great influence. I was talking to one of my co-workers who is from South Korea and was raised Buddhist and to believe in reincarnation. She told me that when she was young she had wanted to be born a man in the next life because she thought being a man was better. This made me so sad and mad at society for making her feel that she had less value as a woman causing her to be blind to her own beauty and power.
Women have (on the whole) greater compassion and love for their fellow man. It is our birthright. Often that is why men have claimed we don't make good managers or leaders. That we are a weaker sex. I fail to see how being more loving, accommodating, and better listeners would make us worse bosses? (Maybe if your job as boss is solely to go around and fire people.) Women are better multi-taskers. This has been shown time and time again in studies. We are more motivated. We have such great ability to empower those around us. These days women receive more education and higher education than men on average. Women as wives, as mothers, and as single hard working people have formed society. I have read many articles pertaining to different ideas about education and even influences of things such as the Taliban. These articles stated that the greatest way to influence these societies was to educate the mothers. When the mothers were educated, so were their children- and it completely changed the society on the whole. Women who are not mothers influence society just as powerfully as Mothers in society. The impact I have seen of single women in my personal life is astounding. They don't choose to spend their extra time playing video games or watching pornography they get up and impact the world. I feel like I can't really put into words how great I feel that the power of women has been, will be, and still is in this world.
Throughout history women have had greater power to influence and they haven't needed (though they've deserved) great positions of leadership or power to do so. They also haven't needed any great recognition (also deserved) to continue their impact. One current example we see is in some of the extreme Islamic sects, they've learned the way to control the minds of these young men. They silence their women. It's absolutely the most powerful tool you can use because women have such great influence. I was talking to one of my co-workers who is from South Korea and was raised Buddhist and to believe in reincarnation. She told me that when she was young she had wanted to be born a man in the next life because she thought being a man was better. This made me so sad and mad at society for making her feel that she had less value as a woman causing her to be blind to her own beauty and power.
I've never been a very good writer, and I hope some of scattered thoughts have come across through this blog post whose main message is that being a woman IS different than being a man. I'm sorry but I believe that, and I think that it is necessary to understand all the beauty and power and wonderful things that come with a being a woman. I'm happy being a woman. I am happy that my little girl reaches for me when she's hurt or mad or sad the same way I reached for my mother. I am happy that my husband and I have a great marriage because I have the capability to be in tune with his needs and to my own needs and what it is that will help us be a better couple. I am happy that a (single) woman in my workplace is the person that everybody (men and women) go to with all their problems about life and she listens so patiently and makes them all feel better.
I have so many thoughts on this matter, and really I feel like I could go on writing for days but the overall message and thought I wanted to give is that I wish that women could embrace that we are different from men, and that it's not a bad thing- it's good, in fact it's so wonderful. I believe as a woman I have the power to change the world, and it doesn't demean me or lessen my influence at all to embrace the things that make me a woman. I love all women and I hope and pray that we can embrace who we are, and see our beautiful capabilities and inspired gifts.
This video is a perfect example of what I am talking about.
http://www.wimp.com/anchoradopted/
I have so many thoughts on this matter, and really I feel like I could go on writing for days but the overall message and thought I wanted to give is that I wish that women could embrace that we are different from men, and that it's not a bad thing- it's good, in fact it's so wonderful. I believe as a woman I have the power to change the world, and it doesn't demean me or lessen my influence at all to embrace the things that make me a woman. I love all women and I hope and pray that we can embrace who we are, and see our beautiful capabilities and inspired gifts.
This video is a perfect example of what I am talking about.
http://www.wimp.com/anchoradopted/
