Equal rights for Women... are things really equal?

The age of the Independent woman has made alot more women much more cold, less compassionate. But at the same time, still requiring constant recognition and attention for the things she does. Does that seem equal? I am not one to ignore the many things that women provide to society. There are more single mothers out there than any time in history that i know of . Women are a viable commodity in the workplace and their numbers are growing with each day. Women are no longer just a pretty face to show off, they are in the front of the line, walking and standing tall with men in many facets of society. We have female athletes, female doctors, lawyers, construction workers... just about damn near any position in the work force you can name, women now can proudly occupy it. This is a testament to how far women have come.

But when something is gained, some things start to lack.

There is a large influx of females that say they dont need a man or a family. To each their own but I truly feel the compassion from the female gender is on the decline in quite a few women. I've always stated in many cases that if it doesn't apply, let it fly. I know human beings period can be very defensive.

I have noticed that there is a bit of a role reversal but with confusion.

A friend of mine told me on the way coming back from a date, "If men and women are so independent, why did I have to reach for the check?"

Thats a petty way of thinking in a way, but there is some truth to this statement. In some capacity, women are still wanting to be treated very delicately but then want to wear the proverbial pants. Men are still expected to open doors, pull out chairs, bring flowers and roses as gifts. But there are some women out there that treat men how they think men treat women. Very cold. Callous. I heard a woman 2 days ago cursing her boyfriend (my assumption is that was her boyfriend) out in public, demeaning the poor man. 2 weeks ago, I saw a woman punch some guy in the face cause, and i quote "He wasn't listening to what i was saying". Her words, not mine. Now if he were to lay a hand on her, he is in the wrong. Is that equal?

With the growth of women, are men expected or eventually going to have to take a back seat?

Im not saying that i would expect women to revert to the "Dark ages" when women were expected to stay home and be barefoot and pregnant, but i do say that the evolution of the independent woman can have negative effects on society. Im not referring to the strong women of today, Hillary Clinton, Condoleeza Rice, Sarah Palin (even though i dont like her style, she is a powerful woman) but i am referring to the ignorance being spewed by certain women who feel that she can be deceitful to get what she wants. Im quite aware these women have been around since the dawn of time, but the percentages now are staggering. A young kid i know played a song where this artist named Nicki Minaj (maybe you've heard of her) spoke of sleeping with drug dealers to get what she wants. Is this independence? Is this the influence that you want to instill on the future generations? I sure hope not.

Like with anything, progress needs education. I believe the future generations of the strong, independent woman can strive. We just need more people to step up and show that men and women can exist as a cohesive unit. The equality is reached, but we must extend it to both genders. We must blur the statuses that have been set and draw new lines in the sand...

Or get buried in it.

its hard being different...

be yourself... sounds easier said than done.

In this day and age of stolen ideas, copied personalities & conformity, i hear 2 words that are said by some, but maybe not truly meant.

BE YOURSELF.

The only problem with being yourself would be not being accepted by your peers, which apparently is just as important as breathing. As a child, you are grouped with different personalities and you're told to be yourself. Sadly, children are cruel and will make you feel like less of a person if you aren't into the same music, fashion, television shows or anything that the consensus would like. If you have different views than others as a young child, you are subjected to being bullied & picked on for the duration of your school years. That fact has lead to many tragedies, mostly many school shootings over the years. People that are "different" usually will group with other people that are in the same cast off category and will either form a peaceful unity and become life long friends that just differ from others, or those same groups will take a different approach. They may result in resorting to violence to show that their oppression has not been felt by others and feel it should be.

Even as an adult, to be an individual can lead to a social outcast. There are many times when I have seen a person walking down the street and quickly in my mind passed harsh judgement because of their appearance. These same differences cost people things they value at times. A person could be a 4.0 student that went to Harvard, but if they happen to have a face full of piercings, that could cost them potential job offers, even if they are more qualified that the other applicant. The dating scene is also affected. A man could be the greatest guy, a nice job, good credit, nice car, but if he isn't like what she is used to, its a (strong) possibility she wont give that guy the time of day.

So, when is it truly okay to be an individual?

Sadly, in the society we live in, you can be an individual only if its socially acceptable. There are very few trend setters that actually go out on a limb and do something different and get respected for it. If you think of any trend setter in recent history, there was one before him/her that most likely did the same thing but wasn't respected for it. I have a personal example. Back in the late 90's, early 2000's, i came up with the idea to wear I love NY t-shirts in different colors. I was called many names for it, but a few years later, it was the latest trend. Im not sure who exactly got it so popular, but they were everywhere. Alas, I look back and think of the ridicule i took for going out on a mediocre limb. Imagine if i made a big leap?

There is an expression that goes, "Never judge a book by its cover", but in our society, if the outside doesn't look good, then the book is considered not worth reading.

Embrace individuality, no matter what form it comes in.

Once again, easier said than done.