There is no doubt that being a woman comes with many ups and downs. There are perks to being a woman for sure but there are also many downsides. From childhood we are taught to be sweet, feminine girls. We are taught to serve our family members. We are the hostesses when people come over and we wait on everyone. At least in my Mexican culture it is that way.
Growing up, I was always very submissive and “hosty.” Maybe it’s because that’s what I was taught but it actually made me who I am now. I still have the need when people come over to wait on them hand and foot. I still serve everybody and clean up after everyone. I stand while they eat and make them their tortillas. It’s the weirdest thing apparently to others who watch me when we have dinner but to me, it’ s just normal. It was how I was brought up. My dad would sit at the table eating while we were warming his tortillas as he was eating them. We weren’t the type of family that keeps the tortillas in a bowl on the table we were they type of family that literally kept the tortillas coming as he’s eating them until he was done.
Society today has changed many things in our new Mexican-American culture. Latina women are no longer doing all of these things now that they are second and third generations and many don’t even speak the language. Times are changing and all of the “machismo” crap isn’t being tolerated any longer. Thankfully, woman are getting educated, becoming tougher making them beautifully powerful in society. Add attractiveness to all that and we can have any man eating out of our hand. That would be one of the perks I was talking about above.
Any woman and adding beauty to the eye of the beholder on top of that, can achieve anything she wants. Women know that men focus on our appearance. We know that we are being checked out whether we know it, like it, or not. It forces us to care about our appearance the minute we walk out of that door. Especially when one is single, more so than in a relationship or married. Are you kidding me, their future boyfriend/ spouse is out there and physical attractiveness will be the first thing that is seen and judged by a man.
I have many friends that have fallen into depression because they are unhappy with their appearance or they feel fat and can’t lose the weight. All because they feel judged in their daily lives and are unhappy with their relationship situations or lack thereof. At the end of the day, no matter what people think we need to be happy with ourselves, our true selves. We must wake up and go to bed looking at the same person every day. If I don’t like something, I change it, otherwise I shut myself the hell up and let it be. Don’t whine about it. Be about it. Either change it or shut up. Just own it proudly.
Monika's Blog 