As I sat on the leather couch in my boyfriend’s apartment screaming at a Steelers’ game on TV my boyfriend was in the kitchen cooking dinner for me. This is when I realized that things have changed. Maybe I’m just extraordinarily lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend (which I am) or maybe the stigma that once was placed upon gender roles in older generations has faded away.
It could be wishful thinking, and I know that women are still fighting for equality, but what if we stopped trying to be the same as men? What if we took a moment and peered inside ourselves to marvel at all the amazing things that make being a female so awesome. The list for why being a girl rocks is so long that the Powerpuff girls couldn’t explain it to you by bedtime, but I’ve narrowed it down to six things that make being a woman something to brag about. The free drinks and inexplicable ability to talk our way out of speeding tickets doesn’t hurt either.
1. Control
The number one reason, in my opinion, why being a girl is awesome is the ability to say no.
“When I like a girl, I’ll do anything for her. Thinking I have power is a mistake because once she’s hooked me I’m gone,” Said Sophomore Derrick Anderson, business major.
Although guys hate to admit it, once they fall for a girl she holds all the power. We don’t just have the ability to say no in relationships, but we also have the ability to say no to sex. Being a woman is liberating because no one can force us to do anything we don’t want to do.
“Yes means yes and no means no, no one can make the decision for me. I follow my own rules,” said Freshman Amanda Strausbaugh, international affairs major.
2. Primping Ain’t Easy
One of the best (and worst) things about being a girl is getting ready. Being able to change your appearance based on your mood or the season is something many girls cherish and is considered a rite of passage. Having the ability to express yourself with the way you do your make up, hair and the outfits you choose to wear tells a story of your personality.
The downside is the amount of effort it sometimes takes to achieve the look you’re looking for. But we all know a little mascara can get you anywhere in life. Getting ready is also a way for girls to bond together. Half of the fun of going out is getting to shop in your friend’s closet and do each other’s hair.
Shopping is another plus of getting to be a girl. Guys will never get the relief we feel from retail therapy.
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3. Being a Wife and Mother
Ever since I was young I have dreamed of my wedding and the same can be said for many girls. I would put my teddy bears in a line and hum “The wedding march” as my little sister waited for me to walk down our sidewalk which acted as the aisle. Being a bride is like prom graduation and all your middle school dances combined.
“It’s like living a little fairy-tale just for a day. It’s like being a princess,” said newly-wed Brooke Rapp.
It’s a day that’s all about you (and your groom, I GUESS) where you get to feel beautiful and awesome. “It’s your day. All eyes are on you and everything is about you. No one gets to argue with you because you have the final say on everything,” said another newly-wed Bethany Barone.
After having the joy of celebrating the bond between you and your significant other, many come to a point in their life where they want to expand their family. Parenting is a privilege (or at times a curse) that both sexes have the opportunity to be a part of, but motherhood is something that only females get to experience. Creating life and carrying a child is some pretty serious business and I think it creates a bond with the child that no one else can be a part of. Mike Samuels, author of “The Well Baby Book” states: The relationship begins at conception because the baby in the uterus directly shares the mother’s emotions at a physiological level.
“My children are like a greater extension of myself. There is no greater bond than that of me and my children. It is an unconditional love. When they hurt I hurt, when they smile I smile,” said a local mother.
4. The Single Life
Just because you’re single doesn’t make you a weird cat lady. Our generation is constantly breaking ground and shattering stereo-types, and for many women getting married and having kids isn’t really a priority. The beauty of being a female, especially in this generation, is the amount of choices that we are able to make regarding our life. We are no longer required to fit the mold of the 1950’s housewife and have the opportunity to decide what we want to do with our lives and how we want to live them.
Some girls like the idea of growing up and having a husband and kids and that’s perfectly fine, but it’s also fine to want to focus on you and be independent. We are not defined by the men in our life, we are defined by the choices we make and having that kind of freedom is definitely a reason to love being a girl.
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5. The Better Side of Chivalry
Some may argue that chivalry is dead but from personal experiences I know it’s alive and well. Anything from having the door being held open to having your car shoveled out of the snow, guys are naturally wired to protect us and practice acts of kindness. Even though were capable of taking care of these things on our own, it’s nice having these small gestures. It’s like fuel perks or getting free coffee because you filled your stamp card. These small gestures can help your mood on a bad day and are definitely a benefit of being a girl.
Sometimes people can take these actions as offensive, but regardless of whether the guy thinks you’re hot or is just genuinely being a nice human being, you should embrace the small break you’re getting. Chivalry doesn’t just have to be for guys, either, so feel free to tip karma in your favor and try doing a good deed for a stranger. It might give you some perspective and help you to not always question other people’s motives or assume the worst.
6. Girlfriends
Girls tell each other everything. Having girlfriends to talk to is like having a diary that can talk back. Girls communicate more freely than guys and understand what you’re going through. Without girlfriends no one would be there to take pictures of you, hold your hair back while you’re puking or dry your tears when things aren’t going right. Girls have the ability to share everything from Chap Stick to feelings to the clothes in their closet andthe ability to have each other’s back is something that makes me proud to be a part of a sisterhood.
The reasons to love being a girl are so diverse because we all have different takes on which aspects are important, but if there’s one thing we can agree on it’s that the things that make us inherently female are the things that make us beautiful and the things we should embrace. If you spend too much time trying to avoid stereo-types you might miss out on the things that make you yourself. I make an excellent sandwich and I’m proud of it, but that isn’t what makes me a woman. What makes me a woman is the fact that I can be anyone I want to be, love anyone I want to love and wear high heels while doing it.
SOURCES:
http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2007/12/sex-and-the-city-the-movie-tra.html
http://scholarshipsforsinglemothersnow.com/free-grants-for-single-mothers.html
http://www.bellasugar.com/How-Long-Does-Take-You-Primp-Special-Occasion-1840333