Side Note On Strength So, I've watched the video over at Cuppa's twice about Joss Whedon talking about equality. It's a great video and I really have enjoyed. Enough to watch it twice. Anyway, the gist of it is about equality and Whedon does a nice job of explaining that on many of his press junkets he's asked about why he creates strong female characters and how his answers have evolved once he got to thinking about it. I guess watching it both times got me to considering my behavior as well. Am I a strong woman? I believe I am. I am decisive, I take action and I pride myself in owning up to my mistakes. Those are good qualities, I think. I'm also tempermental at times. Insecure. I overanalyze things. I shut down when people get too close to me frightened of what they think once the masks come off. I do give up too much free room and board in my head over insignificant matters at times. I can be selfish and a drama queen. Sometimes I'm right. Sometimes I'm wrong. Being a woman has nothing to do with any of that, because as humans we all do it. How's that for self-analysis? But the thing that got me pondering all of this is how myself and other women I know end up playing roles that are expected of us. I'm no psychologist, but I wonder if this is a matter of conditioning. I'm not blowing my own horn, but I have a successful job and I do it pretty well. I can hold my own when it's necessary. I realize I must chose battles. Some I take on, others I step back and let it work itself out. So why do I end up sometimes feeling that I have to justify my actions being a successful woman? Constantly. And, I can't believe I'm writing this, I wish someone would do it for me sometimes. But doesn't everybody. Men and Women. We are this way. Sometimes we just need a break. We all have feelings and our feelings, each and everyone of us, if of VALUE! Categorizing why women are strong, and then putting them into different roles is frustrating. It's like Whedon says: It's a shame it's an issue in the first place. You're either the bitch, the slut (I love Aunt B.'s term of slut shaming), the mommy, the matron, the virgin, the whore, married for money, poor because of bad choices (I always hate that one) etc, etc, etc. I heard this line yesterday. Chew on it if you will, "She's very professional for a woman." Sheesh. They were talking about me. Men get it to. They are too soft, too hard, bullies (I know more women who are bullies than men, quite frankly) and that list goes on. So, we are talking about equality for everyone. I present with a huge tip of the hat to Joe Powell Joss Whedon's take on things.   ¶ 7/29/2006 06:37:00 AM