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As a woman, describe a time you have felt powerless based solely upon your gender.

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4 out of 4 members found this useful.

many many times....

Posted September 25th, 2008 by Dora

I am 5'3" and have a "sweet" voice. A good mother and wife (at least, that is what they tell me) who has absolutely no desire to engage in many things such as competing outside and climb the corporate ladder- all the stuff that we were taught to want or desire (at least, my sisters do, and they are women!) and I feel totally powerless to learn (I mean, learn to want).  What does that mean in this society?  Not much.

Too sweet (as I have heard myself on the recorder seveal times). I am usually shy in public even though I realize many times I probably sound like "screeming" online.  I am calm outside, usually very calm. But I can be very calm inside too; I just don't feel that way right now.  My family always said I am SO calm. 

Sweet, calm, loving...is usually how the people 'who know me in person', see me. That is how Mark says I am and I know it is also true but it seems so ackward right now.  I have this restlessness that I was born with and I can't "contain" and don't know what to do with, or maybe I do. I am not sure.  I think it would be a lot easier to be normally engaged in normal ordinary things; I just don't feel like because they are so boring compared to the rest... yes, that rest...

Calm me sick, ill for what I say in places like this, whatever!  I am not, seriously. Not even the people who know me in person see me sick or ill.  On the contrary, they say I am so balanced!!!!  What the heck ...

 

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As a woman, describe a time you have felt powerless based solely upon your...

Posted September 28th, 2008 by Cathy Iacobazzi

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Cathy

I joned the US Army when I was 18. My mother had my bags in the street, she had called the Army recruiter. I went, I did not feel powerless.

I met my husband in the service. We are still together 32 years later. We have lived and loved and have had 3 children. I  am a lucky woman to have such a loving and committed relationship.

I have never felt more powerless  than at the end of each pregnancy. My physical condition (8 or 9 months pregnant) left me totally reliant upon others. Could I have even run if someone had yelled fire?! My brain checked out as well. The white noise started in my head with conception and got louder and louder. Previously, I could read an 800 page novel in a day and at the end I could not read at all. This condition was clearly based solely upon my gender. My husband, as supportive and committed as he was, would never know what it was like to have his body so totally possessed, yet this very fact left him powerless as well. While I was able to make many choices leading up to the birth process itself ( I chose no drugs each time) the degree of submission required was an amazing thing and humbles me to this day.

And yet, this surrender to powerlessness, is one of the greatest triumphs of my life and the source of some of the greatest joy I have ever known. So, once again, paradox, reveals itself to me and I am left wondering.

Thanks for letting me tell some of my story.

 

 

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2 out of 2 members found this useful.

As a girl child, it began there !

Posted October 12th, 2008 by Susan Cremin

Playing football with the lads every day after school from the age of 9 or so - all together with just the ball in view - changed dramaticly by age twelve.....The ball wasn't in view anymore - my boobs were - it was devastating. Did certain types of things to combat the growth of these, to no avail, ie, really tight swimming togs.  What the hell was going on ! Why did this change things ! What's wrong with you boys ! Its me ! Susan.... its Ok......Did their terror reflect back to me the fact that I was now 'a woman ' ? Just normal stages of growth, which is understood now ! But back then it was devastating, a young girl moving into a new 'physical' stage of devolopment.

After that, it became normal having times where I felt powerless based on my gender - after the initial initiation - it was normal to feel powerless......menstrual cycle, pregnancy, miscarrying, leering men, or worse -no men leering - job obtions, all the usual body related stuff. I'm glad, at last its seen, 'I am not the body'. Education at a young age would prevent a lot of mental pain which natually followes the ignorance of the physical.....

Embracing and understanding the boy and girl in 'me' -ok, a million years later' makes it all worth while !