Growing up a girl. Well there’s the whole debate about the male species being superior, the female species being superior and both species being equal. Right from birth the stereotypes and perceived normality begins. Growing up a girl your favorite color is expected to be pink, you’re expected to love playing with dolls and dressing up. In my family, that was hardly the case. We had the option to be our own type of normal. I was never the doll type, instead I had a host of teddy bears. One of my sisters was terrified of dolls, therefore we both defied the perceived normality of a girl child. This same sister of mine has had purple as her favourite color since day one and I ,have never had a favourite color. Once again we defied the perceived normality of a girl child. You see society has a perceived normality for a girl child but the thing is there is a wide range of normal and not everyone can fit Society’s description of normal. The immediate sibling before me is a boy and so I spent most of my time around him growing up. So instead of watching Barbie I would be watching Batman, Superman, Spiderman basically all the male marvel heroes. Instead of playing ampe I would be found playing football. Instead of reading Fairytales I would be found reading action comics. As a result of spending a lot of my time with my older brother I got accustomed to male company . Since nursery most of my friends have been males. I can say about 70 percent of my friends are males today. I don’t have a problem with that, at all. But some people find it peculiar. At the adolescent stage when your type of normal does not fit the Society’s description it is more visible. At the adolescent stage ,girls begin to become aware of their surroundings and people’s opinions of their being. Most of the opinions that matter are from the opposite sex. Girls start to question their appearance and attitude when it doesn’t match the majority of girls or when people with different attitudes or structures receive more attention. The great thing about a wide range of normal is that everyone is special. Each girl’s uniqueness appeals to a different crowd. Girls sometimes look down on themselves when they do not fit Society’s description of normal .The curvy girls envy the skinny girls and vice versa. The tall girls envy the short girls and vice versa. The fair girls envy the dark girls and vice versa. But what each category fails to realize is that there isn’t one type of normal and that’s what makes girls beautiful. Because we are all different and special in our own way. Each and every girl must embrace her beauty inside-out because she has been blessed to be a part of the wide range of normal. Then the comes the stage where some careers are meant for the opposite sex and girls are told to deter from such careers. Well here is the thing, I believe you can be whoever and whatever you want to be as long as you work for it. So the stereotypes should never come to play in your choices as long as you are determined.
Diane Mariechild once said, a woman is a full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.
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