Apparently, I am not a real woman. I am a tom-boy, as explained by my audacious 10-year-old son. Somewhere along the way, my unique feminine charms have been completely overlooked or at least underrated. True, my fingernails remain quite short and unpainted, I count down the days to football season, and am more likely to choose an action-packed movie over a drama most any day. However, does that make me any less feminine?
Yesterday I sent out an e-mail to just about every woman in my contact list. Which is a lot. The purpose? To pose a few questions about true femininity. I am incredibly curious about what you think. Below are the questions I posed to my fellow female sojourners, and I now present to you. I am not looking for an essay, or “proper” answer. More than anything, I want your gut-level response. The thoughts that immediately come to mind based on your experiences and opinions.
You are welcome to respond to this blog with your comments, or you can e-mail me directly at michele@michelecushatt.com if you wish to keep them private. Either way, your input will be invaluable as I search to find out what it takes to be a real woman.
- When you hear the word “feminine”, what immediately comes to mind?
- What makes someone a real woman?
- When do you feel the most feminine? The least?
- Do you ever feel the pressure of any societal or internal expectations regarding your femininity or womanhood? If so, briefly describe and explain how you have dealt with it.
- What messages do you believe we are communicating to the young girls of today about true femininity (good and bad)?
Stay tuned! The results of this informal survey will be discussed in a future blog soon!
November 18th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
In answer to your questions:
1. I imagine a woman dressed in a classsic taylored suit with all the accessories–not over done. The person that fits that description of feminity is Laura Bush.
2. A real woman is someone who is authentic and transparent, has integrity, and is respected and honored by those who know her.
3. I feel the most feminine when I have my make-up on but it doesn’t matter whether I am dressed up or in jeans. I feel the least feminine when I get out of bed the first thing in the morning, get my gym clothes on and head right to the gym.
4. I feel comfortable “in my own shoes”.
5. Hollywood has influenced our young girls with a false sense of identity, self worth, and feminism. The focus of Hollywood is based totally on the outward person instead of the inward person. What a shame!