The Strangled Voice
When did age become synonymous with wisdom? When did the word feminist become an insult? When did fighting for respect become inappropriate and unseemly? I guess it all started with. "Girls should be seen, not heard." "A lady is soft and fragile." "A lady does not speak in a loud voice." "Girls are supposed to let boys protect them." "Girls are supposed to be neat and tidy." No. Screw that. A girl is supposed to be a girl. A woman is supposed to be a woman. And that is whatever she wants it to be. There is no other should. There is no other supposed to. There's just you. There is no ladylike or unladylike. There's good and bad choices. But alas. A girl is born. And society slaps the first label And suddenly she's fair game for every carefully aimed barb, every disparaging remark. Because unfortunately. You don't see us as individuals. We're plagued by your expectations and opinions. Because...