A sense of Empowerment
I have to admit especially being born into a female body and growing up in a pretty chauvinistic dominant culture I've always felt rather oppressed. Factor into that culture, upbringing, men with big egos, ill health and a sense of oppression, helplessness and powerlessness have been major dampeners on life.
How did this post come about? I recently heard of an ex-colleague who'd be pushing her very late 30s...who as soon as she returned to her home country...got married! On viewing the wedding pictures I never saw anything so depressing...two complete strangers standing side by side with absolutely no interaction you would expect from a couple. I felt so sad that she felt so powerless that she felt at her age she had no options left available to her than to settle with some arranged-unknown-so not her type perfect STRANGER.
By the same token I feel sorry for all those impoverished women in asian countries with no education or means that end up with rich old white men because they have no better options.
So in this sense I feel I have options, opportunities, choices, I have ability to exercise free will, FREEDOM for the first time in my life...complete free reign! Boy do I feel happy about that. And RELIEVED. And I do spare a thought for those women in the world who aren't so lucky...
3 comments:
Mm... Serious point. All the typical Jeffrey jokes seem inappropriate.
I have never felt oppressed. Sometimes I do feel REpressed - but that is different (very different). like that monty python film quote.. anyway.
yeah.
Yeah, I never ever felt oppressed. I always think it's weird that people (women) complain about that. And I'm thinking "what are you talking about?" But maybe that's b/c I haven't been oppressed.
So your friend that got married. Do you know that she didn't want to and is unhappy? Or do you just conclude that? (not saying that you're wrong - but I just wonder).
Anyway - I think marriage is not oppressive in and of itself. If you marry the wrong person it could be. If you're the wrong kind of person yourself, it could be (I mean you could be the oppressor and make it bad for the other person - or you could just have issues yourself and feel oppressed even though you're not..) ?
I think some people fall into the latter category. "I'm so oppressed.."
uh yeeah. probably. But what are you talking about?
my humble $.02
I think when a couple are in love with each other it is fairly obvious...to the people that know them best...
in any case arranged marriages were good enough in the past - hopefully they will grow to love each other.
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