On a bathroom break at work, I overheard one woman say to another, as they fixed themselves up in the mirror, "the work it takes to be a woman..."
"I know...so much work!" Complained the other woman, while reapplying her lipstick.
They both were immaculately made-up, in knee length skirts, flowing blouses tightly tucked in, and work appropriate 3-inch heels.
I shuffled out of my stall, jeans frayed, dragging under my flats, and met their faces in the mirror. It was a stunning contrast - my face so plain and dull next to their rosy-cheeks, red lips and outlined eyes.
I quickly washed my hands, avoiding my own gaze in the mirror. I wanted to say to them, “it doesn’t have to be so much work!” But they’d take one look at me, and politely disagree.
To be honest, I wouldn’t blame them. It’s a lot easier existing when you look good. You feel better about yourself, and people (mostly men) are nicer to you. You may even get a job or advance in your career because of it. You can definitely meet a mate as a result of it.
But that’s where I’m confused. Men already want sex, and think about it, on average, much more than women do. Because of this, other species have evolved so that the males strive to be beautiful. The males have to demonstrate their beauty to win the heart of (or a few minutes with) the female. I remember as a child, my dad pointed out that I could usually differentiate the male bird from the female bird by their colors - the female was almost always a dull brown, and the male had shiny, colorful feathers. I asked my dad why the female bird wasn’t as beautiful as the male bird (I was honestly a little disappointed in these female birds. I mean, come on ladies. Try a little), and he said that the colors and patterns were used to attract and impress the female birds (he probably said they’d go out on a nice date and share a worm dinner after the courtship).
They both were immaculately made-up, in knee length skirts, flowing blouses tightly tucked in, and work appropriate 3-inch heels.
I shuffled out of my stall, jeans frayed, dragging under my flats, and met their faces in the mirror. It was a stunning contrast - my face so plain and dull next to their rosy-cheeks, red lips and outlined eyes.
I quickly washed my hands, avoiding my own gaze in the mirror. I wanted to say to them, “it doesn’t have to be so much work!” But they’d take one look at me, and politely disagree.
To be honest, I wouldn’t blame them. It’s a lot easier existing when you look good. You feel better about yourself, and people (mostly men) are nicer to you. You may even get a job or advance in your career because of it. You can definitely meet a mate as a result of it.
But that’s where I’m confused. Men already want sex, and think about it, on average, much more than women do. Because of this, other species have evolved so that the males strive to be beautiful. The males have to demonstrate their beauty to win the heart of (or a few minutes with) the female. I remember as a child, my dad pointed out that I could usually differentiate the male bird from the female bird by their colors - the female was almost always a dull brown, and the male had shiny, colorful feathers. I asked my dad why the female bird wasn’t as beautiful as the male bird (I was honestly a little disappointed in these female birds. I mean, come on ladies. Try a little), and he said that the colors and patterns were used to attract and impress the female birds (he probably said they’d go out on a nice date and share a worm dinner after the courtship).
I know that there is a long, male dominated history, that could easily explain why women still feel like they must grow their hair long, wear dresses to events, and put chemicals on their faces. I admit that I do all of these things, myself, and sometimes I enjoy doing them. Although I am a practical person, and I cringe every time the cashier rings me up at Sephora. That is until she tells me that I have enough points for a free gift, and I notice that the eyelash-extending mascara is among the array of choices. My previous mascara was definitely not doing my lashes justice.
