The Whole Gender Thing...

So I attended the GLCC Women's Spring Banquet last night. Not something I'm overly excited about doing every year and usually I attend because someone has reminded me that it's happening after I've thrown away the letter without looking at it. The two main reasons I attend are to 1-hang out with people I don't see very often and 2- to eat food I didn't have to make myself.

Everything was good, the food, the people, the overall program. I wouldn't say it was more than good because the whole idea of hanging out with only women has never really been my idea of a good time. I don't know what other women think but from my adult interactions with my own gender I've noticed I don't seem to have the natural "connection" that so many women seem to have with each other.

Let me explain, last nights speaker was mostly talking about how we're all "princesses" and we all want to be princesses, and all of our parents always told us we were princesses etc etc etc. But to be honest, no one ever called me a princess, I never thought of myself as a princess, I never wanted to be a princess. The only concession I make to this is that early in my college career I decided the Prince William was really hot and, if ever the chance arose, I would date him but I wouldn't marry him because who wants that kind of pressure.

Then she had us stand up and touch people and say things with a southern accent like "Sugah, you look betta than evah!" which I simply refuse to do. She also told some jokes which were almost funny but not quite because women, especially Christian women, are way too polite to really say it like it is. And I'm sure she had a point that spoke poignently to women and made them feel like someone really truly understands them, but not me.

I don't have or worry about my kids, I don't worry about my looks, I'd like to lose a few pounds but I'm not losing sleep over it. I'm not worried about my relationship with my husband. I'm not stressed about the pressures that are put on women today, I'm not menopausal, I'm not overworked and under appreciated (I do as little as possible and I'm glad no one seems to notice). I'm not any of the things that seem to bring women together and unite them as one. All of these things seeming to be low self esteem, stress, worry, overachievement, and chocolate.

For the most part I just don't care for the kinds of things girls want to do and talk about when they get together. And let me tell you what those things are:

1) Things to complain about
-men
-children
-weight
-housecleaning

2) Things to talk about
-sewing projects
-scrap booking
-children
-diets
-other people
-housecleaning

3) Things to do
-party games
-talk
-sell something (candles, makeup, jewelry, etc)

Things I like to do at a get together

1) Things to complain about
-my job
-how, when I'm walking my dog, she only likes to poop if people are watching us.

2) Things to talk about
-movies
-tv
-anything as long as I can make fun of it

3) Things to do
-go out to eat
-play polker or other non-party games
-drink
-go to movies
-watch you tube videos

I just never connect with those gender stereotypes that both men and women love to throw out there. Mens stereotypes of women are ignorant and womens stereotypes of women are just pathetic. If this is how women see themselves and other women, can we really blame men for the stereotypes they've come up with? Why do we fall victim to the cliche?

If you like to scrapbook or diet that's great, but do it for yourself not because it's expected of you. If you like to sell things at parties and play party games, do it, but not because that's what everyone else is doing. If you think your unhealthy then excersize and eat better, but don't starve yourself to look like some magazines idea of what women should look like. If you fall under the stereotype of the middle-age, fat, overworked, underappreciated mother/marter then it's up to you to do something about it. Don't blame men or children, it's your life, go out there and fix it until you like it and you've gained your self-respect back and stop caring so much about what a woman is supposed to be like. If I cared that much I would be a miserable wreck because I'm the furthest you can get from the uber-woman without being a lesbian.