Just the women.
Men didn't have to be modest. Men have always been able to stand up and brag about what they've done. They can shout out their accomplishments whenever and wherever. Boys are encouraged to act out their confidence with a swagger and a healthy sense of their own worth. When a man struts, people tend to like it. When a woman struts, she was assumed to be a prostitute.
If I came home with an A on my report card, hypothetically, I wasn't supposed to scream it from the rooftops. That was called bragging. Girls were not supposed to smartypants. My brother, however, was not only allowed to brag about his grades, but I was supposed to congratulate him. Never mind that my brother had academic challenges. Every situation was scarily similar. I was expected to be a cheerleader without any expectation of reciprocity. I never understood why women weren't supposed to be proud of themselves and their accomplishments. I grew up angry that I was expected to hide my lights or dim them. Even with the Women's Revolution, the pressure was still there.
We live in a different time. These days, women can be as loud and proud as they want to be. We can throw our heads back and do our own little Mary Tyler Moore twirl whenever we want(Google it). We can speak up about what we've accomplished without feeling shameful about it. We've earned the right to brag if we like. We've earned the right to holler as loud as we can. Women don't have to be demure or dainty or quiet if we don't want to. Not anymore.
For which I am forever grateful.
A blog post inspired by the word: modest
Men didn't have to be modest. Men have always been able to stand up and brag about what they've done. They can shout out their accomplishments whenever and wherever. Boys are encouraged to act out their confidence with a swagger and a healthy sense of their own worth. When a man struts, people tend to like it. When a woman struts, she was assumed to be a prostitute.
If I came home with an A on my report card, hypothetically, I wasn't supposed to scream it from the rooftops. That was called bragging. Girls were not supposed to smartypants. My brother, however, was not only allowed to brag about his grades, but I was supposed to congratulate him. Never mind that my brother had academic challenges. Every situation was scarily similar. I was expected to be a cheerleader without any expectation of reciprocity. I never understood why women weren't supposed to be proud of themselves and their accomplishments. I grew up angry that I was expected to hide my lights or dim them. Even with the Women's Revolution, the pressure was still there.
We live in a different time. These days, women can be as loud and proud as they want to be. We can throw our heads back and do our own little Mary Tyler Moore twirl whenever we want(Google it). We can speak up about what we've accomplished without feeling shameful about it. We've earned the right to brag if we like. We've earned the right to holler as loud as we can. Women don't have to be demure or dainty or quiet if we don't want to. Not anymore.
For which I am forever grateful.
A blog post inspired by the word: modest
