“Ah, this girl,” he says, perplexed.
“One minute you’re soft, the next you’re strong. Sometimes you act like a boy, then like a girl. Which one are you?”
I smile. “What does ‘like a boy’ or ‘like a girl’ even mean? I’m just me, human.”
He laughs. “You know what I mean, boys are tough, girls are soft.”
“Oh really?” I reply. “So boys can’t be soft, and girls can’t be strong?”
“Eh, something like that.”
“Wow. But I’m both,” I say, “and many others are too. Where do you put us?”
He shrugs. “my wife shouldn’t do ‘manly’ things.”
“‘Manly things’?” I ask, trying not to laugh.
“So because you proposed, out of love, she can’t do anything you think is ‘manly’?”
“Exactly,” he says.
“She shouldn’t be strong or assertive. She should only be soft”
I laugh. “And if she’s both? How does that make her ‘manly’?”
He hesitates to answer.
“Can you kneel down and propose to a man?” he asks sharply.
“I could,” I reply, “but I wouldn’t; that’s not my preference.”
“Then speak for yourself,” he retorts.
“I can’t,” I counter. “Others might, and that’s important. We need to recognize that.”
His view shows a myopic understanding of people and abilities.
The idea that men must be tough and women must be soft is rigid. It eliminates others, putting us in boxes.
Today, men can be caring and emotional, while women can be bold and assertive.
This isn't abandoning traditional roles but finding balance.
Be a masculine man, feminine woman or not. Just make sure every party is okay, with no harm/toxicity.
Personally, I prefer a traditional role where the man takes charge, chases, initiates and I follow suit, reciprocating.
I want to be soft and calm, and you can say in this case, be with a masculine man (traditionally) - just my preference.
For some it's different.
Tradition and preferences are important, but blending old and new is crucial.
Strict roles force compliance and ignore individual differences.
Let people choose what works for them and define it - traditional, modern, or a mix.
True modernization is about choice.
Tradition and modernization should work together, not replace one another.
Tradition had only one choice with no options; modernization offers options in whatever choice/preference.
People say, “Just speak for yourself,”
If we do so, we exclude others, ignoring them and try to force our preference or definitions on them.
It's what's happening in society😩. Everyone thinks their preference is the one truth.
Two or more truths can coexist please!
Fairness is including and respecting all choices, allowing people to live their truth.
Different perspectives enrich life. Variety is the spice of life isn't it??
Let people breathe. We’re in 2024, not 1824!
What’s your take? Do you prefer traditional roles, modern views, or a mix of both?
