So....what IS the real difference between MEN & WOMEN....I know, I know....the majority of you will state the obvious original, little or large differences. Before I continue....here's a thought!! Just now, I went into the garden, and, gathered some figs from my huge fig-tree. Went back inside, arms itching like hell from touching the leaves....or rather them, scraping me, the figs sticky milky paste all over me. Washed and put the figs in the fridge and, proceeded to wash my hands again....with soap...with washing up liquid...with hand cream...back again...and, as I sit here writing, I'm also busy scratching my arms to relieve some of the irritation. So, how in Heaven's name did the first man Adam, manage to go around dressed in a fig leaf, and that, on his most sensitive parts? Perhaps he's the originator of the jig...that very lively dance where you jump up and down!!!
Back to our theme. A couple of years ago, I was having coffee with a good friend of mine in Nicosia, Cyprus. Suddenly, I spotted a man I had known long ago. Excusing myself, I caught up with him, greeted him, reminded him of my name, asked him to join me and my friend. His reaction? He didn't ask how I was, tell me how happy he was to see I was well/still alive/not having been hit by bus, but...''I often wondered what had happened to you..you've put on weight!!'' Straight for the jugular bloody vampire! No gentleman there, but, I smiled and walked him over to my friend, introduced them, he sat down and began...'God...she had such a small waist..such a small waist....you should have seen her... For a barrister that he now was, this was not a sophisticated conversation. I could have sued him for misrepresentation of my body which, was far from fat, but had simply grown up along with me. Obviously I was not the very young woman he had first met. Even if I was fat, what the hell did that have to do with anything? Anyway, having listened to him droning on about my once-upon-a-time very slim waist, I placed my hand on his pork-belly (into apparent serious pregnancy), patted it, smiled, and, said ''whereas YOU, haven't changed at all.'' My friend smiled, the barrister left.
And THAT dear bloggers is the difference between Men & Women. In other words, THEY can be short, paunchy, bald, toothless, older than old farts, some even called distinguished, especially if their wallet is fat. Whereas WE are supposed to be forever 18, never ageing, never put on weight, not have wrinkles or droopy anything otherwise we are old hags/old bags/old women etc. Fashion designers design only for skeletons so, women are brainwashed believing, if we are anything above size 10 we are fat. Only girls of 10 are size ten!! Then, there's showbiz. Plastic surgeries, botox, silicone breasts, forced and enforced diets. I've seen female singers and actresses, that have become nothing short of grotesque, with wind-swept faces, and, permanent 'Joker' smirks, who believe they travelled back in time, and, are still pleasing to the crows..crowds..!! We hide age as though it is something to be ashamed of, a crime. AGE IS AN ACHIEVEMENT and we should be happy to have reached yet another year of life. And women, undergo all this to please MEN who obviously have the freedom to be as they are, but, get rid of the old girl in exchange of a younger model!!
I have never understood what all this fuss about age is. I have never understood that it should tie me up and bind me in boxes with numbers above, preventing me of being myself, but, insist instead that I behave according to a number!! Poppycock. With my attitude of a lifetime, that has meant, I was not poisoning my brain on a daily basis, feeding it with fears and tears, that it's grown another day, oh woe is me. That has meant, my brain has not been poisoning my body, telling it it must now grow old accordingly. No creams either or attempts to prevent this 'horrible' thing called age. I look forward to my birthdays and, because of that, I've NEVER looked my age. It's not only genes, not drinking or smoking etc. Younger women have spoken to me as a 'mother' to a child, people who were born the same year but don't know it, think me years younger. I am a Peter Pan, who's matured in life, but has never gotten rid of the child in her character. I stopped saying my age at 27 because, I do not wish to be placed in those coffin-boxes, that tell me I should this or that, but not this or that!! I was going out with a 30 year old man, who worked at the BBC, and, when he asked me how old I was...rather ungentlemanly for an Englishman now I think of it, I asked him to guess. He begun with 19, 20..what more?..21...22...what more? until I proudly told him I was 27. Proud I didn't look it, but, I will never forget his shocked and disappointed expression....what? I didn't think you were that old!! I realized then why The Little Prince is my favourite book. When the boy reflects about grown ups mania with numbers...
''When you tell them you've made a new friend, they never say, what does his voice sound like, what games does he love...etc. instead it's how old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much does his father make? Only then they think they have learned something about him....if you say I saw a beautiful house, they'll ask how much did it cost, you say 4000 pounds, and, they exclaim 'What a beautiful house!!''
An epidemic obsession! When it comes to age and appearance, it only seems to apply to women and not men, and THAT dear bloggers is the real difference between MEN & WOMEN!!!
Back to our theme. A couple of years ago, I was having coffee with a good friend of mine in Nicosia, Cyprus. Suddenly, I spotted a man I had known long ago. Excusing myself, I caught up with him, greeted him, reminded him of my name, asked him to join me and my friend. His reaction? He didn't ask how I was, tell me how happy he was to see I was well/still alive/not having been hit by bus, but...''I often wondered what had happened to you..you've put on weight!!'' Straight for the jugular bloody vampire! No gentleman there, but, I smiled and walked him over to my friend, introduced them, he sat down and began...'God...she had such a small waist..such a small waist....you should have seen her... For a barrister that he now was, this was not a sophisticated conversation. I could have sued him for misrepresentation of my body which, was far from fat, but had simply grown up along with me. Obviously I was not the very young woman he had first met. Even if I was fat, what the hell did that have to do with anything? Anyway, having listened to him droning on about my once-upon-a-time very slim waist, I placed my hand on his pork-belly (into apparent serious pregnancy), patted it, smiled, and, said ''whereas YOU, haven't changed at all.'' My friend smiled, the barrister left.
And THAT dear bloggers is the difference between Men & Women. In other words, THEY can be short, paunchy, bald, toothless, older than old farts, some even called distinguished, especially if their wallet is fat. Whereas WE are supposed to be forever 18, never ageing, never put on weight, not have wrinkles or droopy anything otherwise we are old hags/old bags/old women etc. Fashion designers design only for skeletons so, women are brainwashed believing, if we are anything above size 10 we are fat. Only girls of 10 are size ten!! Then, there's showbiz. Plastic surgeries, botox, silicone breasts, forced and enforced diets. I've seen female singers and actresses, that have become nothing short of grotesque, with wind-swept faces, and, permanent 'Joker' smirks, who believe they travelled back in time, and, are still pleasing to the crows..crowds..!! We hide age as though it is something to be ashamed of, a crime. AGE IS AN ACHIEVEMENT and we should be happy to have reached yet another year of life. And women, undergo all this to please MEN who obviously have the freedom to be as they are, but, get rid of the old girl in exchange of a younger model!!
I have never understood what all this fuss about age is. I have never understood that it should tie me up and bind me in boxes with numbers above, preventing me of being myself, but, insist instead that I behave according to a number!! Poppycock. With my attitude of a lifetime, that has meant, I was not poisoning my brain on a daily basis, feeding it with fears and tears, that it's grown another day, oh woe is me. That has meant, my brain has not been poisoning my body, telling it it must now grow old accordingly. No creams either or attempts to prevent this 'horrible' thing called age. I look forward to my birthdays and, because of that, I've NEVER looked my age. It's not only genes, not drinking or smoking etc. Younger women have spoken to me as a 'mother' to a child, people who were born the same year but don't know it, think me years younger. I am a Peter Pan, who's matured in life, but has never gotten rid of the child in her character. I stopped saying my age at 27 because, I do not wish to be placed in those coffin-boxes, that tell me I should this or that, but not this or that!! I was going out with a 30 year old man, who worked at the BBC, and, when he asked me how old I was...rather ungentlemanly for an Englishman now I think of it, I asked him to guess. He begun with 19, 20..what more?..21...22...what more? until I proudly told him I was 27. Proud I didn't look it, but, I will never forget his shocked and disappointed expression....what? I didn't think you were that old!! I realized then why The Little Prince is my favourite book. When the boy reflects about grown ups mania with numbers...
''When you tell them you've made a new friend, they never say, what does his voice sound like, what games does he love...etc. instead it's how old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much does his father make? Only then they think they have learned something about him....if you say I saw a beautiful house, they'll ask how much did it cost, you say 4000 pounds, and, they exclaim 'What a beautiful house!!''
An epidemic obsession! When it comes to age and appearance, it only seems to apply to women and not men, and THAT dear bloggers is the real difference between MEN & WOMEN!!!
