Cynicism or Reality?

In light of Valentine's day (which is SO not a real holiday), I've chosen to blog (especially since I've been neglecting my writing) about Love. You know... the mushy gushy, can't eat/can't sleep/reach for the stars/over the fence World Series kind of feeling that makes one's eyes dance and their stomach flip-flop. THAT kind of love. The love that when you're in it makes you do bizarre things, the love that when you're not in it makes you want to puke when you see others in it, and the same love that causes a bazillion dollars (exact figure, I checked it!) to be spent on chocolate, flowers, lingerie etc. on February 14 of every year.

Some might say that the views I am about to express are due to my current relationship status, or jealousy or ego or anything else. I'm telling you, it's not. I've never liked Valentine's Day, regardless of whether I was in love, lust, or as single as one could ever be. This might sound a little outlandish, but I think that if you're going to love someone, it should be every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year. You don't get a "vacation" from love. Either you love them or you don't. Either you're in love or you're not.

Here's the scary thing about that though: it's my belief, that you can fall OUT of love. It's happened to me before. However, what scares me even more than that is, is that the one time I was in love, not only did I buy lie after lie (I'd like to chalk it up to immaturity, but unfortunately, I have to take responsibility for my being so naiive), I had no idea who the person was TRULY until it all hit the fan. Until AFTER I had fallen into and then out of love. Thus proving that regardless of time, you don't necessarily know someone. Regardless of how you feel or what you want to believe... people lie. People act. People are ingenuine. Funny thing about that is, is that it was nothing more than "young love"; just a dating relationship (that Praise the Lord) never turned into anything more. Piece by piece as I built the puzzle, I realized I wasn't in love with that person, I was in love with the person he concocted that never actually existed. Furthermore, what he called "love" was never really that at all; simply a desire for companionship. It didn't matter if it were me, the lunch lady, or the girl who lived next door. Just the idea of it was supposed to be enough.

Which leads me to my ultimate point: is it truly possible for our generation to love? To truly fall in love and it be the love that doesn't part until death (by natural causes, not by murder because you got so tired of them)? The love that I see when my Grampy comes home from the office and kisses my Grammy 1st thing after 60 years of marriage? The love that causes my dad to come home to my mom in the evenings as opposed to the country club bar with his friends? The love that no matter the trials, at the end of the day it's a man and a woman standing there; still holding hands, still looking into each other's eyes and no one else's. The love that despite arguments, trials, frustrations, and moments of "oh my gosh come here so I can ring your neck" conflict, still exists?

I truly don't know. I would like to believe in it, but I can't. Divorce is not only just an option anymore, it's part of the plan (i.e. what do you think a pre-nup means?!). It's trendy, it's acceptable, it's "no big deal". Our attention spans in this culture last all of 30 seconds... and then we are on to the next new and improved thing. Well, I've got bad news: the next new and improved thing is often a younger, better looking, more successful person. I don't know when or why this happened, but if you look at the divorce rates two generations ago and compare them to what happens now; the numbers speak for themselves... thus preventing me from believing that romantic love still exists. Rather, I'm afraid it's become a figment of imagination, a thing of the past that you see on the screen or read in a book but nothing more than that. The whole idea of "for better or worse, in sickness and in health" means nothing; even in dating relationships. When someone can walk away from someone in the midst of a life or death crisis because they don't want to "deal with" that, that further exemplifies the lack of understanding, commitment and essentially the level of selfishness that has been reached.

Regardless of the "royal wedding" that is coming in April, I have bad news: fairy tales don't exist. Maybe they did once, but not anymore. There are no princes, no princesses, and certainly no horse-drawn carriages to carry lovers into "happily ever after". Some may call it cynicism, but I call it reality... welcome to 2011.

The Meat Market

I have an addiction to exercise... literally. On days that I don't get to the gym (& spend what I consider ample enough time there), I'm not exactly pleasant to be around. Though my adrenal gland isn't the best working adrenal gland amongst the masses, I am so addicted to the endorphin high, that I'm totally off without it. Now, I know that there are worse things I could be addicted to (which I am, such as chocolate... which may be part of the addiction to calorie burning??), but still; all things in moderation.

All of that to say, I spend a lot of time at the gym. Therefore, I have significant opportunity to people watch, which is, truth be told, one of my most favorite pastimes. Watching people exercise (or in some cases, attempt to) is hands down, one of the funniest things. Put all of these people in a big room, with lots of equipment, various goals/levels/abilities, and then let them go. A plethora of humor ensues.

Not only is there humor, though, but a lot of flirting. And by a lot of flirting, I mean, people have somehow confused the day time hours they spend at the gym with the night time hours they spend at clubs & bars. I mean, honestly... there are people there (like myself) who are there to burn as many calories as possible, leave dripping in sweat, and arrive home with a stench strong enough to clear a store on Black Friday. And then, there are others... you know the ones, matching exercise clothes (that often don't quite qualify as clothes...), big hair, lots of make-up, and are visibly petrified of perspiring in any fashion. And then from the male side, there are those (like my kind of female) and then there are those who show up in cut offs, flex in the mirror, and spend more time looking at the spandex clad tails around them than they do at their machines.

Now, I may be mistaken, but the cover charge for a bar is usually what, like $5-$10? And they serve alcohol. And you just get to sit. Or stand. Dance, if you'd like. I mean, talk about easy. Furthermore, you're there during the late evening hours when there aren't other things that need to be done or that you could be doing. Right? Ok, so if that is the case, then why would you spend $60 on a gym membership, $100 on running shoes, $150 on a matching Under Armour sports bar/compression shorts get-up, & come to a place where people could potentially sweat on you. A place where you have to smell others hard at work. Am I missing the logic?

There are no work out clothes that are anymore revealing than clothes you can wear to a club, if that's the goal. But I will be honest... as much as I love that endorphin high, it's a truckload of work to achieve. Who wouldn't rather just sit around with a drink (of whatever type, my personal choice is diet coke & grendaine) in their hand? Sounds like a heck of a lot easier to me...

Finally, for the males at said fitness facilities who are there to pick up girls, please, please, PLEASE try to pick up the girls who are obviously there for the same reason. They aren't hard to spot, and there are plenty to go around. Please, please, PLEASE don't come try to talk to those of us who are kicking our own tails, headphones in, sweat pouring, and literally straining to get oxygen in to our lungs. I much prefer the pleasure of observing you look stupid, than having to experience your stupidity first hand. I don't want you on the machine next to me, because then I can't breathe and I can feel you breathing on me. I don't want you coming over to talk to me, so I have to turn off my iPod and lose my rhythm. If you have something to say, at least pretend like you're doing something and wait until I am done. Otherwise, there's a girl over there pretending to do abs in a sports bra and hot pants, just dying for you to notice. Thank you, ever so much.

Fashionista. Well, sort of...

I will in no way claim to have fashion sense. As girlie as I am (I have some kind of fear of ever being perceived in any way as masculine) I will take yoga clothes, leggings, sweats, sweatshirts, scrubs, jammies, etc. 100 times out of 100 over jeans & heels.

Now, granted, blue jeans aren't necessarily considered "dressing up", but in my own little land, they are. I have a muffin top. I can't help it. Doesn't matter how many hours a day I spend at the gym (and trust me, it's more than enough or even what's healthy...) I don't look like I work out ever. That being said, I don't like pants with buttons (i.e. blue jeans) because they give me a muffin top. The only thing worse than muffin tops? Back boobs... but that's a whole other fish to be fried.

Back to the topic at hand, I have attempted to establish my lack of credibility to discuss fashion, though that's precisely what I am about to do. I may be the oldest 24 year old that ever was, but hey, it's a tough job and someone has to do it. I'm taking it for the team.

1. BOTTOMS WITH BUTTONS: I understand that society puts a lot of pressure on females (I succumb to it more than most, so I am preaching to myself here) about pant sizes. I get that. I get that all women would rather be a 2 than a 4, a 4 than a 6, etc. Whatever. What a lot of women don't seem to realize, though, is that by squeezing yourself into said 4, when you're actually a 6, makes you look like an 8. You do the math (I got a bachelor of arts to avoid math...). If you're going to wear the pants with buttons, buy the size that fits; regardless of the number on the tag. Now, I understand more than a lot of people how discouraging that can be. I in no way endorse dishonesty, but if you have to rip the tag out and lie to yourself about what size you think they are, so be it. Because if you really are a 14, and you wear a 14, you're going to look more like a 12 (again I know that math doesn't add up, but whatever).

2. LEGGINGS: I know it is completely unorthodox to go here, but I'm taking it there anyways: the crotchal region. No one wants to see it. For real, no one. If you've got a badonkadonk and it's hard to keep covered, it's whatever. Sometimes that happens; and that can be reckoned with. The front, however, can not. Furthermore, regardless of how good you look (and there are bazillions of women 2 & 3 times my age who look better than I do) I believe in a FIRM no leggings after age 40. Seriously ladies, you may be hot, but come on...

3. TOPS: This is a mess. Period. First of all- boobs. We've all got them, seen them, dealt with them, loved them, hated them and any other verb you'd like to insert there. But that's just the point. I have my own boobs. I don't want to see yours. I'm not talking about wearing nothing but turtlenecks and starting the "Pride of the Prudes" club, however, I am mildly suggesting that they don't fall out of the top when you're just sitting around. Crazy, I know. Second of all- white. If you're going to wear white, fine. I don't care if you wear it after Labor day or before Memorial day... our differences makes us unique. However, uniqueness doesn't qualify as wearing colored bras under white shirts. Be real ladies: I don't want to see the girls pop out OR through the hot pink bra under the white burnout shirt. Ew.

4. SHOES: I know that cage, platform, and wedge shoes are extremely popular, I own & love some of them, however... some people have the gift of walking in heels, others have yet to learn the art. It truly is, an art form. It takes practice, balance, & poise to do it. Now, just because I'm capable of doing it (geesh, I suck at everything else, at least let me have this moment here) doesn't mean that I'm saying it's easy, I get that it's a challenge. BUT, if you aren't up to the challenge and you aren't capable of doing so, then DON'T. You look like a goon, I promise. You're going to look much nicer in simpler shoes than you will in sex kitten shoes that make you fall and break your nose. White tape across any broken nose greatly decreases one's appeal.

5. MAKE-UP: Snooki is ugly. She is. She's heavy because she doesn't take care of herself. Her hair is perpetually greasy. She tans in excess of normality (this, coming from someone who'd sleep in a tanning bed if she could). And she's dumb. Most of all, she's dumb. If the American culture is going to put so much pressure on females to weigh so little, why do women insist on putting on 10 lbs. of make-up? Again, questionable & confusing math.

6. SWIMSUITS: Last & certainly not least, the dreaded swim-suit. Very few women (even fewer who haven't had the assistance of a knife & licensed surgeon) actually enjoy the way they look/feel in a swimsuit. I am the president of that society. That being said, however, is that not all women, regardless of how they feel, are made for a bikini. Others, look so good in a bikini, it'd be absurd to wear a one-piece. If people would start looking at their individual body and what looks best on THEM as opposed to what they think looks best on everyone else and assuming they can do the same, we'd all enjoy ourselves much more at pools, lakes & beaches.

Moral of this pointless rant with superfluous attempts at evidencing my opinions? Simple, ladies, we just need to look in the mirror. At ourselves. Not who we want to be, or who others think we are or anything else besides what our two eyes see, and dress for that. Show some skin, flaunt your assets (we've all got them), & do your best to hide your flaws. It's not about the accessory or designer, but about the inner fashionista who needs to recognize the message she portrays as she dresses each day.

Bang, Bang... she shot me?

In sudo-follow up to yesterday's post (but not really, because it's been a long time coming) is my take on guns. Now, I am aware of the fact that very few people agree with me to begin with, even fewer still will agree on my take on guns. HOWEVER, the cliche of "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is about as close to truth as anything else outside of the Bible.

Here is why...

A person can die from LITERALLY anything. A pea? Yep, those blasted vegetables your mother made you eat because she said they were "good for you"? Choke on one of those bad boys and it's game over for you. Your own body? Yep, been there... done that, ask me about it sometime. A pencil? Accidentally ram it into your jugular vein and it's peace out dude. You get my point...

So, that being said... none of those things exist to kill you, however they are totally capable of doing so. I mean come on, why do you think I'm not allowed to take a tube of toothpaste on an airplane? Hello!

Don't outlaw guns. Don't do it. Know why? It's not just about my personal freedom to own one. Rather, it is much deeper and significantly more severe. If a bad guy wants to get something (i.e. weapons, drugs, slaves, etc.) he will find a way to do it. If guns are outlawed that leaves bad guys still having them & good guys not having any way to protect against bad guys. Now, you tell me what's wrong with that picture?

Take away the guns from the American public and you are taking away not only the right to own something, but the right to protect what is theirs. Frankly, despite how much I hate smoking, I don't think it should be banned. Sure it's bad for you, sure it's a hazard, sure it's stupid and a waste of money (no, those aren't my opinions... they're facts - check if you don't believe me) but so what? Aren't Americans intelligent enough to make their own decisions? If I want to suck on a cancer stick don't I have the right to do that because I live in a free nation? Don't I have the right to crawl into a tanning bed because I want to look nice, regardless of the risks (that I'm aware of & choose to ignore)? Banning something doesn't fix a problem, rather it makes it worse. The prohibition is a prime example of that. Cigarettes, guns, etc. are no different. Those who still REALLY want them, will find a way... and if they're going to use it for bad, they don't care if it's legal. The only ones who care about legality are those who aren't planning malicious acts (unless of course collecting guns & keeping them in a locked safe is considered malicious...)

If the government is going to continue to insist on "bans" and removing the rights & freedoms we Americans enjoy, then they will also remove America as we know it (but who are we kidding, they're in the process of doing that already... insert *gag* here). The evil people, the criminals, the "bad guys" if you will, could frankly give a flying pig's behind about the legal nature of an act. Nothing is going to change that. However, if this gun ban & "right to bare arms" is abolished, I challenge you to see how the crime increases as the innocent are left defenseless.

REALLY, left-wing media?

This tragedy in Tuscon makes me sick to my stomach (yes, I have the flu right now; no, I'm not confused). This evil act of unfathomable whack-jobness (that will be a word some day, I just know it.) not only breaks my heart, but it gives me goosebumps and forms pits the size of the Grand Canyon in my stomach.

I in no way want to negate what has taken place, I do however want to make a statement... with the following caveat: I do have a brain.

Hey far-left wing-uber liberal-conservative hating-anti Christian-media: THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

Whoa, I know that was a crazy statement, but let's be serious. What part of this makes it political? Because ONE (only ONE of the many victims) holds a political office?! Seriously? This guy was a nut regardless. He was obviously so far imbalanced, that whether she was a politician or a beautician, he had a vendetta against her and he was going to carry out his evil plan. Period. Furthermore, why wouldn't he do it in public? People like that seem to want more than anything, the attention that comes with their acts. 13 people lost their lives, including a precious 9 year old girl... and they want to make this about PARTISANSHIP?!

I've heard some blame the Republicans, some blame the Tea Party, and of course (because when all else fails) some blame Sarah Palin. How is it that Americans have lost so much humanity that people could diminish this horrific act of violence to one's political beliefs? This was obviously not an act of a political fanatic (frankly, from what they know, the guy didn't believe in anything except drugs, cults, & killing). Furthermore, the only people he claimed to agree with were liberal extremists... Congresswoman Gifford is a Democrat, is she not?

My heart breaks for all involved and my prayers are with them. Deeper than that, though, my prayers go to our country, land of the free & home of the brave: that we may be able to again regain our humanity & civility regardless of our disagreements. Tragedy such as this is not only uncalled for, but also a reminder of the fallen world in which we live. The devil seems to be doing a good enough job as it is, ruining America... do we as people need to help him out by losing sight of what is TRULY important? Just sayin'...

Memory Loss

Well, what a year 2010 was... to say the least. I haven't blogged since May, and I guess instead of taking responsibility (that's no longer fashionable in America), I will blame it on my memory loss. 2011 has arrived, and my blogging has returned.

It's nice though; it allows me to write as I love to do, but if no one cares/wants to hear what I have to say, they don't have to. Win/Win for all involved. Until next time... "Hello, World!"... "Hello, 2011!"

Life and death. Then life?

This past year has been interesting... to say the least. I thought we were getting close to reaching a point of sanity... I was wrong. As I am facing 2 funerals and 3 almost funerals, I'm realizing the severity of what it's like when the final reality of a non-believer as that person enters eternity... to be forever separated from those who are believers. Scary, isn't it?

I'm not scared of death. Or at least, I'm not supposed to be. What's on the other side? The reality of doing nothing but praising the Maker of the Universe with no pain or suffering. What's on this side? Pain, poverty & pride. Why should I be afraid of death? I shouldn't be. Rather, I'm afraid of HOW I'm going to die.

Life... eternal life. How incredible of a gift; so thankful for the blessing of the redemption that covered my sins, though I'm so undeserving.

Oops!

I obviously had forgotten that I had become a "blogger". Temporary identity crisis we'll call it. Or something like that...

Either way, my opinions are still strong (if not stronger). If I wrote a post for everything on my mind right now, I'd be still typing next week at this time... maybe even the week after too. So instead, I will make a list. And as I see fit, I will edit and add to that list. So, here goes...


1. OIL SPILL: Yeah, it sucks... for a lot of reasons (namely the already hurting economy down there), but the finger pointing that the executives did? So doesn't bother me. At all. Why? Because it's ALL of their faults. They're all guilty, and yes... what they all said was probably true. However, I'm not one for "buck-passing". If you did something wrong, you need to take responsibility and fix it. But hey, that's just me. Thankfully we have such a "great" president to blow the whistle on their finger-pointing... besides, it's not HIS fault he didn't respond! It's the Bush administration's... DUH. Like you didn't already know that? Obama can do NO wrong... it's impossible. And all of these issues we have been dealing with? Total result of the insane George W. Bush's. Yep, allllllll G.W.'s fault. Every last thing. Especially this health care bill- I mean honestly, what was he thinking? Thankfully, Barack was there to reprimand the finger pointers... since he never does it, I'm just so glad he was there to "save the day". Give me a break.


2. CNN is running a special (I believe it's tomorrow... I watch it at the gym because it's on; not my fault they don't know the RIGHT news network to watch...) regarding how white parents are teaching their white children to hate black children. Wait, WHAT?! Yep, that's right... in 2010, white supremacy must have somehow reached its peak. Now, please... do NOT get me wrong. I am in NO way prejudiced, and in NO way do I think it's right to judge someone on the color of their skin. I have friends of varying races & religions and my thoughts on this are certainly not supremacist... simply my feelings and observations and blatant dislike for "political correctness". Gag me with a spoon.

OK, so that being said (please note that I am writing this in a stressed out mood and there is a lot of sarcasm laced into the wording of some of this)... do you know what the worst thing to be in today's world is? An American. For some reason, we're hated. Whatever. Let's focus on our country... what's the worst thing to be in our country? An evangelical Christian. Yep, can't beat it. Due to some of the stereotype (which unfortunately is based off truth that arises from a small group of people), we are pompous/judgemental prudes who think we're better than everyone else. So, so sad. But, that being said it's bad to be an American. It's REALLY bad to be a Christian American. Worse than that? A WHITE Christian American. Still more? Being an affluent/educated, white, Christian American. Finally? Being an EDUCATED, WHITE, CHRISTIAN, AMERICAN MALE.

Where am I going with this? Tebow... I'm going Tebow (which on another note, could totally become a slang term, but I'll wait on that...). What is the deal with people HATING the Tebow family? Is it really THAT hard to believe there are good people left in this society? If they were of another race, religion, starving and all girls, would it be different? Is it so bad to not use your fortune to grow your ego into womanizing and wasting money on harmful things? Ok, whatever; I guess that's two soapboxes in one.


3. Obamacare. Yep... won't go there. Been there; still feel the same. I will leave that stone unturned. For now.


4. Carmel bullying/hazing case. This is a tough one. I will start with the disclaimer that it was WRONG. Very wrong. I am in NO way condoning what those boys did. I think it's unfortunate and I absolutley thing they should be punished. However, kids are kids. And they are mean. REALLY mean. Obviously, I've never experienced the bullying of boys, but I have dealt with the bullying of girls, and maybe it's just my bias, but I am convinced that what girls do is WAY worse.

Granted (thankfully) there isn't the sexual humiliation and contact like there was in this particular case, and no real physical harm. But, the emotional/mental harm? It's unreal. And it lasts for forever. It's not an isolated event. It goes on for a long, long time. Hard to detect, hard to "catch", and even HARDER to recover from. There are no visible bruises on skin, no tests that can be run at a hospital to check for penetration, no nothing. Instead there is unbelievable pain, the brutal murder of one's confidence, and the robbery of one's ability to trust.

This case isn't just about the horrible things that happened to that freshman basketball player. No, this case represents how awful kids (and adults for that matter) have been allowed to behave and treat other people. This is the "exhibit A" if you will of what happens all over this country every single day. I don't know if it's a lack of security so people need to hurt others to feel fulfilled, or if it's the sheer entitlement mentality, but whatever it is, it has gotten WAY out of hand. It's so sad that people really don't know what it's like to be a friend anymore.


4. MARK SAUDER: Give me a break... x2. He's a good friend of my mom's... they grew up together, went to high school together. Mark's dad & mom's dad taught Sunday school together at the AC church (yet another post for another day). Mark's mom still goes to church there... with Gramps. Grabill is about the size of a pea. That pea, however, is larger than Cedarville. Leo, now Leo, is the booming metropolis. The "triple cities" as they're known.

But come on, really Mark? Highlight of his speech was this: "I'm sick and tired of politicians who...". Um, hello? Last time I checked, he IS one of those politicians he's sick and tired of. His wife of 30-something years? So she's not a size 4 anymore. So what? Does that entitle him to someone younger, thinner, more attractive? He's been in Congress longer than he said (exhibit A of him not having a problem breaking his word and not following through) and now this. Just when the middle of the road begins to think the left has all the answers, we, the "judgemental, conservative, right-wing prudes" back up our hypocrisy. Now, I am CERTAINLY not saying I am innocent. No, I've never cheated on my spouse, but I will say that every day I live, it is "by the grace of God, go I...". It just makes me sad. Sad for Mrs. Sauder and their children. Sad for the husband and family of the mistress. Sad for all of the people who bought into him and now feel deceived. Sad for the conservatives who now have to try to repair the damage that was done. Just sad.

Ok... enough of that. I shall return... eventually.

April 26, 2010

I have gotten very lackadaisical with my blogging. Guess life has just been more than I can handle... oh right, it has. But it's today that reminds me: I have a life... I'm alive. 4 years ago today, 5 wonderful people lost theirs. 5 people who were better than me... who made a positive impact on others; 5 people who weren't a continual drain on life... 5 people who were so in love with Jesus that though they had bad days, their circumstances didn't determine their joy because their joy was founded on the Rock.

It was 4 years ago today that I was faced with a decision: do I go with this whole "God thing"? Do I believe what I grew up learning about? Do I buy into it? Or, is it just a bunch of fluff that people believe in to make themselves feel better? It was 4 years ago today that I thought I'd lost one of the most amazing people I know... one who deserved to live because of the beauty of her spirit. It was 4 years today that I learned what tragedy was; what seeing people who were so, so precious lost in the blink of an eye. There were so many components to that evening... to that accident... to that night that were connected to the people in my world, to ALL of the people who were so greatly impacted by these incredible children of God.

I remember it all like it was yesterday... and not a day goes by that I don't question why them... instead of me. I'm sure that sounds as an insecure plea for someone to say "oh no, Kara, of course not". I'm certainly not saying that in search of an ego boost, rather because those peoples' faith, their impact, their presence was so GREAT. What I long to be, strive to be, and so badly fail at.

I was fortunate to get one of my closest friends back... someone who brings so much joy to so many; the type of person who knows what it's like to be a true friend. It was the tidal waves of emotion, confusion & doubt that forced me into evaluating my faith. As I reflect upon those lives, those memories and how it's changed me, all of the feelings that rush back (both good & bad) remind me of the Lord's omnipotence and mercy.

I take this life and every breath I take for granted so often... when in reality, my life, is "but a vapor"... nothing more.

Chivalry isn't dead?!

That's right; I'm 98% sure that chivalry isn't completely dead... yet. It is, however, dying, and that is quite unfortunate in my not-so-expert opinion.

I certainly can't speak for anyone else but myself on this issue, but I'm a fan of chivalry. A big fan. I've had the privilege of watching chivalrous men such as my father & grandfathers and I like it. I like the idea of gentlemen & ladies. I like the idea of manners (I was raised by the etiquette police, I can't help myself!). I like the idea of being protected, taken care of, provided for in the way God intended for a man to do for a woman.

Don't get me wrong; I'm independent. Extremely independent. Often, too independent. HOWEVER, I am in no way shape or form (and I pray I never will be anywhere near) a Femi-nazi. In fact, evidenced by previous posts, I have a strong dislike for the "I am woman, hear me roar" types. Give me a break. No you're not, you're just someone who is cynical, hasn't fallen in love and/or has been hurt. No one's heart is that hard, and if I'm wrong and they are, I feel really bad for those people.

Being a female is often no fun. Let's be serious here, females get to go through a lot of things that males don't have to. I'm not trying to be a self martyr or say that being a male is easy (I've never been, PTL, so I wouldn't know). What I am saying, is that we deal with things that will never fall under the category of "fun" regardless of how you position it.

Ok, back to the point here. Chivalry. The reason it's a dying art, is because we (the American female population, and yes unfortunately I have to include myself in this) are extremely guilty of either consciously or inadvertently squelching it. I saw something the other day that's really stuck with me:
I work in the largest building in the state of Indiana. People are constantly coming and going. I saw a man in his mid-30's hold the door for a woman in her mid-50's. Her response? To my demise, it wasn't the gracious "thank you" that should have been. Rather it was "what are you doing? I can get the door myself!" followed with a hasty sigh and dirty look.

COME ON LADIES. If we (and again, sadly enough I'm included) want gentlemen; want to be swept off our feet by our Prince Charming, then we MUST allow them to hold the broom and/or ride the white horse. It's no wonder men stopped doing chivalrous acts. If I were that 30 something guy, I wouldn't do it again! I'm not saying that this is all women's fault and that men aren't to blame to a degree (we all know it takes 2 to tango...) but what I am saying is that if this is truly something we want, and want to keep around, then we'd better do something about it.

You know what's even funnier? There is still a group of people that get that. Know who? Well, I will tell you: senior citizens. Know why? Because they get IT. And by IT I mean all of the things that we don't. Both genders of the older generations understand life and lived in a way that put us to shame. I was obviously born in the wrong generation. More on this subject to follow...