I’m the crazy girl you all know you love to hate.

The one who doesn’t care what you think, and will let you know. I’ve always been a feminist, which has always annoyed many of the people around me. But lately, I’ve become more and more vocal about it.

I’m going to an engineering school. We consider a 2:1 male:female ratio to be wonderful….although my major has a significantly worse balance. There are still people out there, at my school even, who think women shouldn’t be engineers or scientists or so forth. During one speech, the boy sitting next to me made some derogatory comment about women. I punched him in the arm, even though I’d just met him. I don’t need friends like that. He, of course, immediately apologized and passed it off as a joke.

Anyway, there’s this piece, which asks, “What is the least ladylike thing you’ve done?” Which got me thinking. I noticed at lunch at orientation that the five boys I was eating with were eating slowly and sedately. They were sitting upright, like there would be a posture examination. I, however, was bent over my plate, shoveling food as fast as I could. I ate chicken fingers with (*le gasp*) my fingers, and talked with food in my mouth. So sue me. This is college, and I’m hungry, damn it.

So, some unladylike things I’ve done:

1. I swear

2. I stand up for myself and other people

3. I’m more muscular than most of my guy friends. I can take care of myself.

4. I’ll tell you whatever I want to. If you need to be told off, I’ll tell you off. I’m not a girl who will give a wishy washy answer when confronted with a question. I know what I think, and I’ll let you know too.

That said, I can be perfectly charming and ladylike. Keep my knees together, eat with the right fork, sew, cook, etc. I just choose not to.

So, thoughts? On life? Feminism? Etc.?

Tagged as: crazy girl. ladylike. feminism.