When did it happen?

A few things have been wandering through my brain for days now and I can’t keep them in any longer. This may anger some people, annoy others, or some may even dismiss these rambling thoughts of mine. This post is not meant to do anything but make a person think, maybe even feel something different. It is meant to make someone ask the same questions I have. Either that or it is just the ramblings of a woman trying to understand her place in this world, her wave in the sea of humanity. So here goes….

A woman’s role is to nurture, she nurtures the growing fetus within her womb, she gives birth, she cares for her family, she cares for those around her (ask my co-workers I am always “mothering” them!) but when did this happen? A man’s role is to feed the egg that becomes the fetus, be a provider, be manly (what is “manly” anyway?), be someone’s “safe” place. At what point in the history of humankind did these roles get established? Have you ever wondered about that? Have you ever asked yourself “what am I doing here?” And you thought you had the answer because society tells us we need to be a certain way….but is that the right answer?

Did these roles get applied when Eve tempted Adam with the apple? If so, why doesn’t that make woman the stronger sex? A man can be so tempted with just an apple – does this make man weak? Or does this make a woman weak that she can sink so low as to tempt a man with the sweetness of the forbidden fruit? Some tell me that man is stronger because of physicality – why is this so? Muscles can weaken with age or because of never using them. Brain function can deteriorate with age and so, too, can our morals or empathetic tendency (man and woman, no distinction there). So, who is the stronger sex if both of these things (muscles and brain) can weaken? It seems to me that there is a certain level of equality in the human race, don’t you think?

In many religions men are the primary symbol but how is this known? How do we know that God was a man? How do we know that Jesus was a man? The number one answer will always be “because the Bible says so” – who wrote the Bible? Isn’t it just a story that has been told and retold and retold – always with the same players but sometimes (depending on the religion) a different story. Why do I have to believe in what the Bible says is my role in humanity just because I have boobs and a ‘gina? Is there more psychological power in the ‘gina or the p? Men will say the p, for sure….and some women will say the ‘gina! Go figure – we all think we are more important than the other. What if, a big what if, we all just took a moment to fathom a farfetched idea that we are all created equal? Man is not better than woman, woman is not better than man, skin is just skin no matter the color, we are humans, homosapiens, ya know, just people!

I know my own perspective, although I question myself from time to time, is that when push comes to shove I can be as strong as I need to be in any given moment. A mother can summon up the strength to push a hellacious heavy object to save her child (look it up!) – so, is it really muscles that make the man stronger? A man can assume the role of nurturer and caregiver when he has to – so, is it really muscles that make the man stronger? No, it’s being human that makes us all equal, makes us all stronger! Having empathy for one another is what makes us better, makes us stronger. Recognizing and empathizing with the struggles of another human being is what makes us stronger. We all have the capacity to care for one another but we don’t! We are all locked into our own lives, our own worlds, and many are unwilling to open the door to humanity and say “come in, you are my equal”.

The fact of the matter is that at some point we are all going to die – the human race will become extinct. What then? Does God get a do-over? Do the animals take over the planet? Take a moment and ask yourself “am I being kind today?” It only takes a second to be kind. It only takes a second to smile at someone who might be having a shittier day than you. Yet, we don’t take that second – we are too busy in our own self to notice anyone else – selfish bastards that we are!

Today I am at a beautiful wellness spa and I brought the staff something so incredibly simple – chocolate. I thought the lady at the desk was going to cry. To see the shock on her face to have some stranger do a kindness is what prompted me to realize that we are equal. Take a second today, my friends, and do something kind. It only takes a second.

I might try reading the Bible sometime because I am told it’s the greatest story ever written. Maybe I will find the answers in The Book that I am seeking but for now I will keep thinking that we are equal – men and women. I will believe that somehow, some way, humanity will get their shit together and be better humans. No country, no religion, no color, no nothing is better than the other – humanity is just humanity.