July 16, 2008

No, I'm driving...


You know, I have to admit something that I recently caught myself doing. Now, don't attack me right off the bat, I'm not sexist or anything, I just caught myself having a semi-sexist thought.

My fiancee and I were picking up an item we purchased from craigslist.com, and as we were getting ready to leave we play fought over who would drive home. I said I would drive, she said "No, I'll drive", and we went back and forth with this for about 15 seconds. She ended up winning this "play fight", and ended up in the drivers seat.

I felt embarrassed and a little angry, I felt like these people, whose house we were leaving, were probably laughing at this "man" being dominated by his "woman".

I felt my manhood threatened, a feeling that I've never really had in this regard before.

The pouting set in and next thing I know my fiancee is really upset that she'd hurt my feelings, and the guilt set in on me because of the guilt I had caused her.

This wasn't something she should have felt guilty for, she had driven to their house and I hadn't had a problem with that. It wasn't until we were leaving and she said those words "No, I'm driving", that switched me over into "man" mode.

She had said the words playfully, as I had originally stated my want to drive, and it wasn't fair to make her feel guilty for something that was my problem.

As time goes on I find myself observing these "man" and "woman" moments in myself and others, and it's kind of a scary thing that these things still exist.

The "who gets to hold the remote", "who can get a job being a firefighter(or equivalent), etc. All of these things still have a very sexist center once you really start observing people in situations where they come up.

There are still plenty of men that feel threatened, for example, when a woman drives a large truck , makes more money than them, etc.

I think I'll be doing more posts on the subject of sexism, and how it still thrives in a country that's supposedly "politically correct" on this subject.

Don't think these sexism posts will only be about men, women have quite a few "sexist" assumptions going on inside their heads too, this will be a look at both sides of the coin.

And, I will be doing posts on other subjects in-between, this is Joseph's World after all, and I don't want to become a one topic blogger here.

2 comments:

  1. "What, sir, would the people of the earth be without woman? They would be scarce, sir, mighty scarce. Then let us cherish her; let us protect her; let us give her our support, our encouragement, our sympathy, ourselves -- if we get a chance."

    -Mark Twain
    (public domain)

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  2. Oh, we definitely do! I know I do! I actually can admit to it though, rather proudly, because I happen to be really old fashioned. Or so I had been, as that would be more correct to say.

    Lately I have found myself struggling with gender roles, and how I relate to guys as well as handle myself and society's views/standards. :/

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