Monday, February 20, 2012

Heaven forbid we act like ladies and gentlemen.

Before I get to my real thesis for this post, I'm going to tell you why I made this blog in the first place. 

Two reasons:

1- this is the record of my thoughts through high school. I have a journal and I write in it regularly, but that is mainly for my more personal feelings (don't you even try to find it. It's hidden in a place you wouldn't dare  go, anyway). This is something I want to look back and laugh at in later years. For example: when I'm in college and I read about midterm stress or something. I'll probably think I was spoiled by Mr. Ure and find great hilarity in my laborious complaints.

2- I'm an opinionated person, and that's a fact. Politics, sociality, religion, you name it. I'll probably have an opinion on it. The thing is, I've never been good at voicing said opinion. This blog is to get my ideas out there. I don't care if no one reads my posts -- the habit of writing and getting my opinions out of my head and into the public is an exercise for my personal gain. If some enjoy it, awesome! If others literally can't see past their plans for Friday night and think I'm psycho/boring, awesome! This blog isn't for them anyway. 

Now, the opinion for today.

Chivalry and virtue is dead, yes? Yes. Or, it's extinct, anyway. 

Ohhhhh, snap. I'm getting into relationships between men and women. Sue me.

Ladies and gentlemen, why can't we act like just that? Ladies and gentlemen?

Ladies
Before you freak out on me and start saying things like, "Hey! I have good table manners!" or, "Seriously, Julia? This isn't the 1800s and we don't live in England." I'm going to explain something: by being a "Lady" I do not mean just not smacking at the dinner table like a two year old, nor am I saying you need to wear stockings to formal events or keep your pinky up when sipping tea. (Who the heck wears stockings anywhere, anyway? It's like wearing a codfish on your head...) No. Being a lady -- a woman -- is way deeper than that. It's a divine and beautiful role, and society is cheapening it. 

Look at the majority of girls around you. The ones who purchase the tightest Abercrombie and Fitch product they can find and wear it on a daily basis. The girls who believe they're ugly without makeup. The boy crazy ones who annoy us all with their constant "I need him" posts on Facebook. The girls who have lost their identity. They say they're different, but they all post the same duck-faced pictures on Facebook looking for likes and comments. You know the type, they're all trying to be like everyone else.

What's the point? God made you different from every other stinking girl in the world! Shouldn't that be an honor to you? Don't you want to embrace that? God gave us all intelligence, yet the majority of us twist our hair around our index finger, talk like Lucy (from I Love Lucy), wear 3D glasses with the lenses popped out and call ourselves "nerds"...Why? I...I just don't get it. 

Boys are an obsession. A top priority. Again, why? Why is everything nearly every girl does centered on what a certain male will think? The world has given women this paradigm that we should act as candy for men. That is crap. Wear what you want to wear! Say what you want to say! Eat what you want to eat, and do what you want to do, woman! Stop plucking the petals off of poor daisies and start living. You're a teenager, you shouldn't let it control your mind anyway. You have better things to prepare for...not just the boyfriend you might have next week. There are better things to worry about than whether or not he thinks you look hot. 

Behavior
•Stop belching for the sake of belching, it's not cool.
•Stop acting like you don't know what 1 + 1 is, it doesn't make you cute. 
•Stop going to the bathroom in packs, it makes you look like you can't pee on the big girl potty by yourself.
•Stop thinking being a "Tom boy" makes you more attractive. Sorry, but when girls try to act masculine, it's gross. Embrace your femininity. Femininity is beautiful. 
•When someone tells you you're beautiful, believe it. Cause guess what? You are, ya hear?
•Chill. On. The. Makeup. Like I said, you're beautiful. You don't need it.
•Stop taking everything seriously. Not everyone out in the world is trying to offend you.
•^Don't over react or manufacture your own problems. That's the root of drama. No one likes drama. 
•Stop using Hollywood as your Bible. There's a real Bible for that.
•Put some clothes on.

Womanhood is a lovely thing. Embrace it. Be gentle, love, save your kisses, be modest, appreciate what you have, be passionate, love your talent, seek knowledge, know you're beautiful, be grateful, be sincere, be confident, live life to the fullest. Give compliments, even to boys, no matter what people may think. Prepare for the next chapter of your life. Work to become the kind of person you want to marry. Learn the skills you'll need to learn to run a family. It's not all developed in one day, you know. 

Proverbs 31:10 "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies."

"Walk tall, you're a daughter - a child - of God. Be strong, please remember who you are." 

Gentlemen
I'm going to praise my school boys a little bit here. Honestly, I didn't know nice guys existed until I came to Williamsburg. True story. I always thought half of the male population consists of boys who just don't say anything and stay amongst themselves, while the other half of you who want a girlfriend, are naughty and have a the-more-skin-I-can-see-the-better mindset. It was just, ya know, part of life. 
Most of the guys at my school have been raise at home by their Mamas and have learned how to be good, strong boys. I can picture each of them eventually growing into amazing, talented, leading men. I wish all young men were like them; the world would be a better place if they were. 

So what do these said Williamsburg boys do that's so amazing?

Just...talk. Before high school, having a guy just talk to me (or any of my friends) was a rarity. It was sad. It was like girl were some kind of aliens...like boys still believed in cooties at age 14...
You don't have to talk about deep, dark, secretive things with a girl. That's awkward. Just, you know, talk. "So what are your hobbies?" "Tell me about your family." "Do you have any favorite books?" Chill out and talk. To all kinds of girls.

STOP BEING SO FREAKING EXCLUSIVE. I'm serious. I go to a lot of dances for my church, okay? I kid you not, every dance I go to I see guys and girls in pairs or packs. Do you understand how much I appreciate guys who are just all over the place? Dancing with several girls for the joy of making them feel special? TALKING to several girls, for the sake of making them feel appreciated and worth talking to? Guys who have multiple "girl-friends" are highly respectable in my eyes. There's no need to get exclusive at this age -- no one's getting married for another 5-10 years, people. 

Hold the door, shake hands, carry someone's groceries, give up your chair. 
Story time. 
A few years ago we were getting our car oil changed (we've done it since, by the way). We walked into the little waiting room they thing they have at oil-change places, and my siblings and I sat down. Well, in comes this dude in this mid 20's, probably. He came up to my sister, who at this time was seven, and said, "Hey kid, you're in my chair." THE. MAN. TRIED. TO. KICK. MY. SEVEN. YEAR. OLD. SISTER. OUT. OF. A CHAIR. That is called a disgrace to the male population. 
Another example: When my mom was pregnant with my baby brother, she and I were out getting dog food. I went to go look at something while she got the massive bag of kibble. When I came back to the dog food isle, I saw her struggling to lift the bag. There this mucho pregnant woman stood, trying to pick up something heavier than she was capable of. And just feet away, I saw a man, watching her. Just watching. I almost flew at him and decked him. Who does that?

Chivalry is dying, my boys. 

Open and hold her door. Next old lady you see at the super market, carry her groceries. Go out of your way to help people. Give your chair to the young lady standing next to you. If this stuff makes you uncomfortable, that's cool. Get out of your comfort zone. Be socially pleasant. Geez, I thought I was the homeschooler here.

Get off your lazy butt. If I had a dollar for every dingbat boy I saw addicted to black ops or passionate about movie marathons, I'd be mega rich. You have real passion inside of you, go find it. Work hard, being a hard worker is an awesome attribute to have. Have a plan for your future and work towards achieving it. Own a business! Do yard work! Heck, learn to cook if you want! Do something worth while. Be spontaneous, care about others as well as yourself, compliment, be different, clip the hair out of your eyes, be. a. gentleman. 

“Chivalry, stimulating conversations, everything is said to be a lost art nowadays. But nothing is a lost art, unless it’s a sunken statue—in a river of lava. 
” 
― Jarod Kintz

1 comment:

  1. *clapping* You, my friend, are awesome. :) Keep on posting.

    ReplyDelete