"I enjoy being a girl"
Ok, so a week ago, I was thinking pretty much the opposite and how complicated being female can be sometimes. I mean, take hair removal for instance. A hairy girl isn't considered socially acceptable (generally). I feel confident saying this because I have personal experience on the matter. Allow me to shed some light on the matter through an embarrassing experience. Ahem.
When I was in 7th grade, gym class was torture. I mean, beyond the i'm-SO-not-coordinated-slash-athletic-at-all-and always-the-last-to-get-picked-on-teams kind of awkward awfulness. One big reason why I hated gym class was because my mom wouldn't "let me" shave my hairy legs. Maybe she just didn't want to admit to herself that her little girl was growing up....I honestly don't know, but to this day I wonder how I somehow managed to endure junior high and maintain some dignity by the end of it. Having hairy legs was quite embarrassing. I suppose I was lucky that no one actually ever said anything to my face, but I guarantee those boys and girls in my class noticed. I withdrew myself from groups whenever possible, counting down the minutes until the bell saved me from the humiliation and I could pull my jeans back on to conceal the faux pas.
One day I couldn't take it anymore and found one of my dad's razor blades and went nuts. It was just the blade, no handle, so it was rather tricky, and silly me I did it dry..so yeah, I ended up with a pretty deep, messy cut on my leg. Perhaps that was the true reason why my mom wouldn't let me...because it was dangerous....? Eventually my mom and I had a little chat and she suggested using a depilatory. So I hopped off to the store and got me some Nair!
(Nair wears short shorts!) That worked a few times and then my skin broke out in an itchy rash. (Which I was kind of grateful for because the Nair was messy and stinky!)
Eventually I learned to shave properly, and a few times did some waxing. The point is, that for a girl to be hairy is eye-brow raising sometimes and maybe even a little "gross". For guys however, not such a big deal. Ok, there are sometimes EXTREME situations where the guy is overly hairy, but for the most part, they don't have to worry about shaving if they're gonna get in a swimsuit!
Another thing that is sometimes frustrating about being a girl is the whole "monthly". Surely I can spare details here. ;)
Well, today at church I went to make an announcement in the Elder's Quorum and I walked out feeling grateful to be of the female species. Curious, I know, but it was just one of those funny little inspiring moments.
First of all, it was me in a room full of men so they were nearly all in dark pants and white shirts. There was some variety in their ties, but from my vantage point in the back row, this was not obvious to me. I thought "Wow, we have WAY more interesting outfits". I also noticed this went I went clothes and shoe shopping with my bf. Us girls have much more variety (which can also be a bad thing because there's SO MUCH that it can be overwhelming!) but we can get away with ruffles, lace, and a greater variety of colors and fabrics, which is pretty sweet!
Then, the overall feeling was different. Not in a bad way, but I just felt like it wasn't as friendly of an environment.
I was eager to get back to Relief Society where there were lots of cute outfits, friendly faces and warm feeling. Being fast and testimony meeting, it was nice to hear testimonies and be uplifted and buoyed spirirtually. I love Sundays!
Well that's mostly it. Of course I appreciate both genders and we each have our unique qualities and roles that make life interesting and fulfilling when we get together, but I really enjoy being a girl.
That's all. :)
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