Women being judged happens in so many ways. What do you think of this story?
OOOOOOOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains…
My wife and I were walking with our adult daughter in a very stiff Oklahoma wind yesterday morning. We were in the city and the canyons of tall buildings were creating the funnel effect, making the wind whip even stronger than the 25 mph it was probably going. She was in a nice conservative dress that laid a few inches above the knee, her hair was long and loose because she had just had it cut and colored and had to let it be down for the day so it wouldn’t kink. As we leaned into the wind she tried to hold on to her hair, her dress, and her purse. She was barely holding her dress down, her hair was blowing everywhere and her purse wasn’t far from take off. She was holding everything as tight as she could because this had happened in this exact same spot about a year earlier as well. In that case the wind had grabbed her dress right as she got out of the car. Luckily Linda and I were right behind her so the resulting ballooning was obscured to anyone who might have been looking. She also had told us that she had the same thing happen at an outdoor wedding just a week before.
It Sucks Being a Woman Sometimes!
As we continued walking and she continued to fight the wind she gave a loud huff and in a moment of frustration simply said, “It sucks being a woman sometimes!” She was referring to the present circumstances of course, but I also got the feeling she was expanding that statement out to other areas of being female as well.
Does it?
What about you? Do you have areas of suckiness as a woman? Have you been able to modify your life so that suckiness is reduced or has disappeared? Or maybe you don’t think it sucks?
Tell the Napkin Kin community about your experiences and opinions.
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Drawing and story by Marty Coleman, Inspired by Caitlin Reynolds
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Yup it is me again – okay – I happen to think you are insane for opening this can of worms. Haven’t you heard enough. I assume we are keeping it light so I won’t go into the true suckiness of being a woman.. But I know exactly that kind of moment your daughter had and it is more than choosing the right clothes for the right tunnel in skyscraper city wind conditions – it is the fact that guy clothes never request such detailed planning – no what a guy looks good in he will look good in no matter what because he does not have the whole girls look good only in idiot clothing and shoes and hairdos. There is almost nothing about the attractive pretty girl look in all its variations from punk to apple pie that does not consist of idiot impractical clothing. For wardrobe moments to be a recognisable phrase to the whole world says it all. And we concur. We dress ourselves up in that stuff and get all googly eyed over how cutem we look but we can’t function as normal 3D humans in case – oooh lah the wind blows up our behind… do you need any other example that epitomises the suckiness of womanhood but that!! I am all for your daughter railing against the universe at just that moment and just because she can – wearing that same skirt the next time she goes there and cock her snoot at the wind (it is too powerful and needs to be taken down a peg or two..) okay rant over have a nice day you’all
Hey Hilary, thanks for the comments!
I would probably ask this question. Why is utilitarian functionality the only criteria to use in choosing clothing? Why not have fun with styles and color and shape and textures and still make them functional for what the person buying it needs it for?
Plus, the functionality of wearing a skirt is great. Ease of movement, ventilation, etc. But wind is a downside. That doesn’t mean it isn’t practical, just that in some circumstances it’s not optimal, right?
And I completely don’t agree that a guy looks good no matter what. Guys can, and often do, look terrible in their crappy t-shirts and saggy pants. They are unattractive and boring.
Anyway, I love style and fashion but I also love functionality so I understand how some fashion is idiotic in that regard. I just don’t think it all is.
In this instance, “it sucks to be a young woman… sometimes” No disrespect for your daughter, but I would bet a woman of a certain age would have not worn a dress to that location multiple times or she would have insisted on going to a different location that would not compromise her fresh hair-do.
It could be you are right but we sort of had to be in that location at the time. I do agree that learning how to deal with wind, thinking ahead, comes with experience, no doubt.