While shopping with my Rachelle a few weeks ago, she said something interesting. She felt guilty for wearing high heels because feminists have fought for our right, not to wear heels. I said, whaaaaa? No, they fought for our right to have a choice! Yes, it’s great we don’t have to wear high heels, but heck, I’m short! I never wear flats!
Women shouldn’t feel like we have to do something just because we can. Sure it’s great that women can now be CEOs, we can wear pants to work, we can propose to guys, we can vote! But sometimes a girl’s just gotta be a girl.
I’ve gotten dugg way down on digg for saying I wouldn’t ever propose to my boyfriend. A commenter replied: “I suppose you want to vote and have equal opportunity at employment, too!” So if I want my boyfriend to propose to me, I don’t get to vote? I’m not asking him to spend thousands of dollars on a ring or anything, it’s a simple girlie thing. I’ve dreamed my whole life of how I would be proposed to. It’s a nice tradition. Fine for the girls who want to propose to their boyfriends, but I don’t think I should be denied the right to vote for something so silly! I do live in this country and pay taxes. 19 people dugg me down, his reply got 22 diggs up. Scary, right?
As for equal opportunity at employment, that’s a little trickier. Yes, there’s some discrimination based on sex, but some of it is choice. I think more women than men put family before their careers. It’s natural. Men can’t get pregnant and breast feed, they just can’t. I think there are many women who rather have less responsibility at work so they have more time to spend with their families. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we can’t expect to be promoted as much and make the same amount of money as the people who are at the office 12 hours a day. Women also have a problem asking for more money. Why? I have no idea. If you’re doing the same amount of work as someone, doing it just as well, and they’re still making more than you after you asked for an increase in salary, something isn’t right. Otherwise, we have to accept that the big difference in salaries between men and women isn’t completely based on discrimination.
I like being a girlie girl (computer stuff aside), it’s what makes me happy! Am I really setting the women’s movement backwards by being happy? That would be rather screwed up wouldn’t it? I like that women can choose to hold positions of power, but it’s not something I would ever choose because it wouldn’t make me happy. Does that make me a bad person? Do what makes you happy, that’s what freedom’s about!
LOL, I’m actually not a girly-girl. =P But it is fun being a girl, and I enjoy it. Yep, and you’re right, do what you want, and do what makes you happy. That’s life, some people will hate you, some people will like you, and you can’t please everyone. LOL.
I’m not a girly-girl, I’m more of a tomboy but some days I do have feel girly and wear make up and whatnot….. I love working where I do I don’t care if I’m basically the only female working with all guys. It pays the bills and its something I enjoy..
I SO agree with this post. I’m an extremely girly girl and although I appreciate the rights I have to do things my great great grandmother wouldn’t have been able to do, that doesn’t make me feel obligated to HAVE to do them!
If it did, then I wouldn’t feel like I’d gotten anywhere at all, and had just been shoved from one extreme to another. The ability to do whatever you like certainly is what freedom is about.
Btw, I wouldn’t propose to a guy either! :P
I personally don’t see a problem with proposing, but it’s true, there’s just some things that should be left to men, and some things left to women. Of course the roles has majorly changed in the last couple of decades, but still, tradition is still around. People don’t understand what give and take is… they assume it’s on the radical sides of the podium.
I also don’t see the problem with proposing. Personally I wouldn’t do it, but I think it’s awesome. I have a friend who proposed to her fiance and while my mom condemned it as being unladylike, I was high-fiving her for it. Then my mom accused me of being gung ho and expressing fears that I would do the same in the future. I may not be someone who sees herself as a proposing type, but if my stance changes, then so be it.
I think the true show of progress in the women’s movement is being able to exercise one’s freedom of choice. You choose to propose? Good. You choose to let the guy propose? Good. Become President? Awesome. But it’s best when it’s done for the right reasons, and is more than just “proving a point”.
I have my girlie girl moments. Sure, I wear make up, but I’d never slip into a pair of high heels. I’ve never mastered the art of walking in them, nor do I plan to – being as clumsy as I am. haha.
I think it all depends on the couple, but if I felt it was appropriate, and the right time, I’d put the offer on the table and propose to the man. Even if they say it’s not “right”, who cares? Love is love, right? ;)