There are days and then there are Days. Yes, we have 365 X the years we live, days. And we have an equivalent ratio of Days in our life as well. We have a Mother's Day, Father's Day, Children's Day, Women's Day, Hug Day, Chocolate Day, AIDS Day, Independence Day; you name it and we've got it. And perhaps there are Days that are 2 or 3-in-1 - A combination of a myriad kind of Days. And more.
And then there are philosophies that surround these Days. I don't know why or how or when or where someone sitting joblessly in this world conjured up a reason to celebrate or commemorate events on these Days. But so be it. They exist, have been existing for a while now and will continue to exist till their time's up.
Yesterday, we know, was Women's Day. Of course we had every place adorned in ways that made it very clear it was indeed Women's Day. Special emails at work made rounds, women were given roses, there were celebrations, we even wore pink unknowingly and of course Facebook was flooded with mother/daughter/wife/women's messages.
The context of my post lies in these messages my Homepage got spammed with yesterday. Thanks to the cliched pro and anti Women's Day messages, it was a no-brainer to figure out what whose sentiments were. It sort of made me think. Yes, we all have opinions and hell yeah do we have the right to express them as and when we wish to. However, it got me thinking.
There's a whole bunch of women (and men) out there who went overboard by either embracing the Day or dissing it altogether. I wonder what's the big deal in getting so worked up about such a thing. It doesn't take much to figure that if something really gets you riled up, it's something that affects you deeper than you'd like to believe. So stop with the nonchalance you proclaim already.
Yes we are women. Yes we're God-awesome. Yes we're multi-talented. Yes, we're loving, caring, homely, ambitious and all that. We're people. We're meant to be that way. We're not some hybrid species that stereotypes make us to be. We do our bit and move. We're also a major pain in the ass. Ask those who have cranky women for bosses (not that men aren't, but that's a different story). All I'm saying is that we're this and we're that as well. Women are not what one would call your "sati savitris", so stop with putting us on a pedestal. On this one Day especially. Let there be a sense of equality, a sense of live and let live, a sense of gratitude to both sexes...because God help me, I cannot and am not and will not be a feminist. Attribute that to my upbringing if you may, but that's where I come from.
Yes, I've not seen the world. But I know for a fact that one's approach to life lies in the attitude one has. I cannot say I hate women or men, and I don't. I cannot say that men are bad and women are good, and I won't. I cannot live my life thinking one is better than the other, because I'll never know and isn't something I even want to know. I think it matters.
I think it matters to know where to draw the line.
It matters to realize the difference between genuine appreciation and patronization (if that's even a word!)
It matters to get equality, yes. But it also matters to stand up and embrace the moment. Otherwise it just looks like you're the wet blanket who sits in the corner of a party and sulks.
Like I said, I don't know why these Days were created. And I wonder if there was a need to. I'm sure the world thinks something of them because the world celebrates them. If we're going to sit in a corner and be petty about why women need to be celebrated, then that's a choice one is making and so be it. My post may come across as a mixed bag, but that's how it is. I prefer not having a stand because frankly speaking, it's not the Day but my attitude towards the cause of this Day that matters.
So yes, I'm a woman. I didn't go out of my way to celebrate this Day, in fact I did nothing to celebrate it. But I didn't go gung-ho on making a big deal of it and getting all aggressive about it. (If you claim it isn't a big deal, then stop making it a big deal for starters.) I however did change my status message on Facebook to remember, acknowledge and appreciate the women in my life. Yes they don't need one particular day to be remembered, acknowledged and appreciated, but since we've got a Day to our name, I gave them the space they deserve, the thoughts they deserve, the love they deserve. I'm just being grown up about it, taking it in my stride and moving on - because like I said, my attitude is all that matters and I'm not one to sit in the corner at a party and sulk.
I'll go out there and dance. And if I'd have my way, I'd dance with all the women in my life on this one Day and on every other day.
And then there are philosophies that surround these Days. I don't know why or how or when or where someone sitting joblessly in this world conjured up a reason to celebrate or commemorate events on these Days. But so be it. They exist, have been existing for a while now and will continue to exist till their time's up.
Yesterday, we know, was Women's Day. Of course we had every place adorned in ways that made it very clear it was indeed Women's Day. Special emails at work made rounds, women were given roses, there were celebrations, we even wore pink unknowingly and of course Facebook was flooded with mother/daughter/wife/women's messages.
The context of my post lies in these messages my Homepage got spammed with yesterday. Thanks to the cliched pro and anti Women's Day messages, it was a no-brainer to figure out what whose sentiments were. It sort of made me think. Yes, we all have opinions and hell yeah do we have the right to express them as and when we wish to. However, it got me thinking.
There's a whole bunch of women (and men) out there who went overboard by either embracing the Day or dissing it altogether. I wonder what's the big deal in getting so worked up about such a thing. It doesn't take much to figure that if something really gets you riled up, it's something that affects you deeper than you'd like to believe. So stop with the nonchalance you proclaim already.
Yes we are women. Yes we're God-awesome. Yes we're multi-talented. Yes, we're loving, caring, homely, ambitious and all that. We're people. We're meant to be that way. We're not some hybrid species that stereotypes make us to be. We do our bit and move. We're also a major pain in the ass. Ask those who have cranky women for bosses (not that men aren't, but that's a different story). All I'm saying is that we're this and we're that as well. Women are not what one would call your "sati savitris", so stop with putting us on a pedestal. On this one Day especially. Let there be a sense of equality, a sense of live and let live, a sense of gratitude to both sexes...because God help me, I cannot and am not and will not be a feminist. Attribute that to my upbringing if you may, but that's where I come from.
Yes, I've not seen the world. But I know for a fact that one's approach to life lies in the attitude one has. I cannot say I hate women or men, and I don't. I cannot say that men are bad and women are good, and I won't. I cannot live my life thinking one is better than the other, because I'll never know and isn't something I even want to know. I think it matters.
I think it matters to know where to draw the line.
It matters to realize the difference between genuine appreciation and patronization (if that's even a word!)
It matters to get equality, yes. But it also matters to stand up and embrace the moment. Otherwise it just looks like you're the wet blanket who sits in the corner of a party and sulks.
Like I said, I don't know why these Days were created. And I wonder if there was a need to. I'm sure the world thinks something of them because the world celebrates them. If we're going to sit in a corner and be petty about why women need to be celebrated, then that's a choice one is making and so be it. My post may come across as a mixed bag, but that's how it is. I prefer not having a stand because frankly speaking, it's not the Day but my attitude towards the cause of this Day that matters.
So yes, I'm a woman. I didn't go out of my way to celebrate this Day, in fact I did nothing to celebrate it. But I didn't go gung-ho on making a big deal of it and getting all aggressive about it. (If you claim it isn't a big deal, then stop making it a big deal for starters.) I however did change my status message on Facebook to remember, acknowledge and appreciate the women in my life. Yes they don't need one particular day to be remembered, acknowledged and appreciated, but since we've got a Day to our name, I gave them the space they deserve, the thoughts they deserve, the love they deserve. I'm just being grown up about it, taking it in my stride and moving on - because like I said, my attitude is all that matters and I'm not one to sit in the corner at a party and sulk.
I'll go out there and dance. And if I'd have my way, I'd dance with all the women in my life on this one Day and on every other day.
I'd say your penultimate paragraph is the reason these Days exist. It's just to give credit to people and ideas that deserve it, that we are unable to do in the daily 'bhaag-daud' of life. Taking it to ridiculous levels, of course, exist with every idea.
ReplyDeleteYeah but then making a big deal of it by saying things like we won't celebrate or acknowledge it even, is also going overboard. and that's what i don't get.
ReplyDeleteGuess what, out of curiosity Ajay Googled and found out that it's Men's Day on November 19th! :D
ReplyDelete