We humans only want to hear what we expect to hear from who we expect to hear it from.
It makes us feel warm inside when a Dad throws a baseball or teaches us to use a hammer,
when a Mom bakes cookies or mends our scrapes.
It makes us feel secure when a husband fixes a broken lamp or takes the driver's seat,
when a wife grows flowers or cleans the house.
It makes us feel comfortable when a repair man shows up to fix the plumbing,
or our doctor's nurse is a woman.
It makes us feel unchallenged when a man is the boss,
and a woman is an assistant.
It makes us feel excited when men play the instruments,
and women sing.
It makes us feel safe when a man speaks words of intellect,
and a woman speaks words of comfort.
All of these good feelings tell us that the world is as we know it, and as we want it to be.
But... all of these feelings are about US, what makes US feel normal, what gives US a feeling of status quo. What about the feelings of OTHER people around us? What about THEIR feelings, THEIR reality, THEIR actual and real abilities, talents, aspirations, dreams and goals?
Why do so many parents deny their sons and daughters education about things that are real and wonderful, or essential for daily living, just because they were born a certain way? We know it's wrong, now, to do that to a child based on race or other physical traits, so why haven't we learned that it's wrong to do that to a child based on gender? Why do so many people only listen to one kind of person about one thing, but not another?
Why do we applaud one kind of person for doing something, and denigrate another for doing the very same thing?
Why is it more important to us that other people play the roles that WE want them to play, instead of being supportive and applauding people for doing what THEY want to do?
Expectations and denials... they are handicaps to our vision, and our acceptance of others for the magnificent creatures they really are.
It makes us feel warm inside when a Dad throws a baseball or teaches us to use a hammer,
when a Mom bakes cookies or mends our scrapes.
It makes us feel secure when a husband fixes a broken lamp or takes the driver's seat,
when a wife grows flowers or cleans the house.
It makes us feel comfortable when a repair man shows up to fix the plumbing,
or our doctor's nurse is a woman.
It makes us feel unchallenged when a man is the boss,
and a woman is an assistant.
It makes us feel excited when men play the instruments,
and women sing.
It makes us feel safe when a man speaks words of intellect,
and a woman speaks words of comfort.
All of these good feelings tell us that the world is as we know it, and as we want it to be.
But... all of these feelings are about US, what makes US feel normal, what gives US a feeling of status quo. What about the feelings of OTHER people around us? What about THEIR feelings, THEIR reality, THEIR actual and real abilities, talents, aspirations, dreams and goals?
Why do so many parents deny their sons and daughters education about things that are real and wonderful, or essential for daily living, just because they were born a certain way? We know it's wrong, now, to do that to a child based on race or other physical traits, so why haven't we learned that it's wrong to do that to a child based on gender? Why do so many people only listen to one kind of person about one thing, but not another?
Why do we applaud one kind of person for doing something, and denigrate another for doing the very same thing?
Why is it more important to us that other people play the roles that WE want them to play, instead of being supportive and applauding people for doing what THEY want to do?
Expectations and denials... they are handicaps to our vision, and our acceptance of others for the magnificent creatures they really are.
