Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Taking Control

"You wait, little girl, on an empty stage, for fate to turn your light on."
For everyone who has ever seen "The Sound of Music," this phrase is from "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." Somehow, this implies that girls, women, or ladies are incapable of making things happen for them on their own. The rest of the song goes on to say that the girl needs a man/guy/significant other to help them on their path and journey in life. While it may be nice to have someone to do the heavy lifting, it isn't necessary to have someone of the male persuasion holding her hand the whole way. It's these mysoginistic undertones in songs we all know and love from eras of late that have, unfortunately, shaped current modern thinking regarding women in their own world. Have girls-turned-women of today forgotten how to think for themselves? Are women scared to go out into the world on their own, for fear of not being able to make it without a man?
I am of the opinion that mainstream culture has taught our generation's females to become dependent on men because men provide. Traditionally, men provided financial stability once a woman set out on her own, men provided a home, support, and occasionally, love. Our mothers were taught this, and while they tried to instill a feeling of independence in us, bless them, somehow, it didn't take as well as they'd hoped. Mothers of the baby boom generation lived through a huge Women's Lib movement, and wanted to continue that feeling and emotion in their daughters; namely, the girls of the MTV Generation. However, thanks to MTV and its subsidiaries, and countless dating shows, girls are still waiting for Mr. Right.
What is wrong with being on your own, living on your own, and being with Mr. Right now, if there absolutely has to be a man in the picture? I can't stress enough how liberating it can feel when a woman strikes out alone and is successful in her ventures, sans male. It's time women started taking control of their own lives, and began using their brains to live! Try it and you may see that the end result is that a) things get done faster and better, and b) you're happier. Ladies, it's okay to be single. It's okay to be on your own and independent. It's perfectly fine to have your own thoughts and opinions about varying topics. Frankly, it needs to be an everyday occurrence. Go ahead, break the "rules" that have been set forth by Lifetime movies, music videos, and romance novels. Women need to remember that FICTION IS NOT REALITY!

No comments: