Random Thoughts Of Randomness

Today is International Women's Day and also Blog For Sexism Day. So I thought I'd share some random thoughts of mine.

I recently had the opportunity to see the video for Ciara's new song 'Like A Boy', wherein she tries to tangle with some gender stereotypes by wearing thugged out baggy clothes, tattoos all over, and illustrating the sometimes stark differences between what (black) men and women are supposed to dress and act like, at least in music videos. I think I need to see it one more time, and maybe read the lyrics. I think the tone of the song is along the lines of: "Sometimes I just want to treat you the way guys typically treat girls, and then YOU can see if YOU like how it feels."

A friend of mine who's a big fan of Louisa May Alcott shared one of the woman's quotes with me, one that made me think:

"I put in my list all the busy, useful independent spinsters I know, for liberty is a better husband than love to many of us."

I'm reminded again of a conversation I had with friends at work, that young people our age (mid-twenties) aren't in a rush to get married because men and women not co-dependent on each other like they used to be. Men can cook, stitch, raise children on their own. Women can make good money, fix their plumbing, and raise children on their own. There's no personal incentive to get married. The companionship and sex, you can get that from a regular long-term relationship. However, the social incentive (or should I say pressure?) to get married still remains.

I'm reading this book about the evolution of human behaviour as we know it. The current chapter specifically deals with the evolution of human sexuality, and something I found really interesting is that humans are the only animals on the entire planet who have sex in private. Every other animal (especially mammals) have sex in public. Fascinating! Really!

Here's to hoping that the future gets better, even though I am mostly a pessimist. But I can't help but see the change that may soon be coming when I work in a field that was dominated by white men and is now filling with multicultural women. There's hope yet. :)