Now that so many people in my life know …<\/p>\n
I’ve started getting the look …<\/p>\n
And at times the comments.<\/p>\n
Occasionally it’s the …<\/p>\n
“A real girl wouldn’t do that.<\/i>”<\/p>\n
Sometimes it’s the …<\/p>\n
“You’ve got so much to learn.<\/i>”<\/p>\n
Though most often it’s the …<\/p>\n
“You can’t do that when you’re a woman.<\/i>”<\/p>\n
Regardless …
\n
\nIt is someone expecting me to conform to their own image\/stereotype of how a woman behaves,<\/p>\n
With the assumption that since I’m “going to be” a woman, I’ll conform with their particular image.<\/p>\n
Those brought up in the female role don’t always have such a restriction, though granted, there remain expectations … expectations that we all encounter.<\/p>\n
But what I’m talking about is that ….<\/p>\n
Women can like sports, women can work long hours, women can wear pants, women can drink beer instead of wine, women can be sparky, women can laugh at racy jokes, woman can toss out double entendres, women can like sci fi movies, women can be geeky, women can be whatever\/whoever they want to be.<\/p>\n
Though for now, as people adjust their perception of me …<\/p>\n
Reassign me in their own internal categorization …<\/p>\n
I can sense a scrutiny in each and every one of my behaviors.<\/p>\n
I am being closely watched.<\/p>\n
Evaluated.<\/p>\n
And what’s frustrating is not so much the judgment, but that it differs between each and every person … in practice, if it was my intent to satisfactorily meet each person’s own perception of how a woman should behave … there would be an infinite number of different perceptions I’d have to meet. A difficult task to say the least.<\/p>\n
Which means …<\/p>\n
It’s a good thing I’m finally comfortable being me …<\/p>\n
And not consumed with meeting other people’s expectatiooons.<\/p>\n
It also means that I’ll always be the kind of girl that thinks movies like …<\/p>\n