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Howdy. Once again I'm editing this page, and once again I feel compelled to say something about myself. Lately, we've been reading Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own in English class. It has a little label that says "Women's Issues", and one idea addressed in the book is the mixture of gender in each person. No, I'm not talking about something odd. Virginia Woolf believed, as I do, that every person has a little bit of both sexes, or qualities associated with those sexes. I've always considered myself rather in touch with my feminine side, and proud of it. Sure, I may be really bad at sports... but I'm great at arts and crafts, or cooking! During my elementary school days, most of my friends were female. My best friends were usually guys, but I hung out with a lot of girls. However, I never thought this was "girlie" of me. My rationale was that while other guys played kickball, I was gettin' the mack on. That, by the way, is probably the most masculine thing about me. For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in girls. Even in preschool, there was always at least one girl I wanted to marry. That's why I've always thought it was silly when women talked about men "fearing commitment". At the age of five, I was ready to tie the knot. And at any rate, I always wanted a girlfriend. This preoccupation has only strengthened with age, though my years of experience have not necessarily translated into success. So we've established that I'm heterosexual. Probably excessively so. As far as manliness is concerned, though, that's about it. I do things that girls enjoy, like singing and art. I'm good at things that girls are usually better at, like the verbal section of SAT's. I like kids a lot. I talk too much. I think in an odd, convoluted way that doesn't always make sense. I rarely resort to violence. I'm not homophobic. I'm quite good at arranging flowers. However, there are some "girl" things that I've managed to avoid. Despite vicious rumors to the contrary, I don't wear dresses. I don't plot against my friends. When something does go wrong in a friendship, I'm much more likely to look at my feet and walk away than have a probing talk about my feelings which usually does more damage than good. I don't go to the bathroom in groups. I like video games and action movies. I'm really, really bad at sewing things. So maybe what I'm saying is very obvious. Still, I consider myself much more feminine than the average guy. The fact that I'm willing to say that should be your first clue. It probably all has its root in my upbringing. My mom has traditionally been the family breadwinner, often traveling, while my dad has done a lot of the day-to-day parenting. Once upon a time I told my English class that in a Freudian sense, one might consider me to be castrated. I honestly can't remember what I meant, but I'm sure I meant something. Psychologically, I'm messed up because my mom isn't weak or subservient and my dad actually feels willingness to show love for his family. So I'm really a freak. But that's okay. Feeling abnormal gives me a much more comfortable place in this world. Every male personality has some female facets, and every woman has at least some masculinity. Any person who didn't would be really boring. A 100% manly man might be able to crush me with his little finger, but he wouldn't be any fun to talk to. Once again, I'm happy with who I am. So that's it for now. To read more of my super-profound thoughts, click below. |