Norms!

So, how about those gender norms?  Men do this and women do that, right?  Men watch football or whatever and women ought to do the dishes and clean up.  See, I’ve always kind of thought of that whole system as, well, horse hockey.  This is especially true when, from a few sides, I am being told that it isn’t up to me and I will be doing the cooking and vacuuming, whether I like it or not.

See, I refuse to trade one type of oppression for another.  Not gonna do it.  As a boy, I spent enough time being forced into a role against my will, trust me.  I see no reason to free myself from that just to be forced to adhere to other ideas, simply because I’m changing.  You know what I mean.  I will not iron pants aside from my own.  I ain’t doing no dishes just because some dude is too busy watching TV or whatever.

Besides, I am switching sides and spanning the shades of grey in between.  I am mostly without label right now.  Do you really think I have any respect for gender norms?

I really don’t, trust me.  This doesn’t mean I wouldn't help out if asked, but I won’t feel obligated because it is ‘my place’ to bake brownies or what have you.  But hey, who am I to say?  However, I would like to imagine that if someone did insist that my place is in the kitchen or next to an ironing board and that it wasn’t up to me and it was my new obligation, I’d probably break their jaw.  Of course, that seems a male thing to do, to resort to violence, maybe you say.  If you actually thought that, I’m not entirely sure you’ve been paying attention here.  I do not intend to ‘take the bad with the good’ I very much intend to ‘have my cake and eat it, too.’  I do not believe that to be as impossible as some may think, mostly because it’s my happiness on the line.

Besides, if you ain’t happy, change things.  I’m not saying you have to take it quite as far as I am right now, but you owe it to yourself to mix it up a bit.  Of course, maybe certain folks say they can’t change, for whatever reason.  It is also the case that even a brick wall presents an opportunity for decision.  Inaction is just as much a choice as action.

Anyway, the happiness post is scheduled for later.  We’ll get there.

Also, I might be changing my future name.  No, you don’t get to know it yet.  Not even you.  If I have to be more patient with everything, you must do the same.

This post brought to you by not quite enough sleep and the letters S and Q.

Those two letters may not be a coincidence.  Just throwing that out there.