WOMAN?!?!?

Growing up and becoming a Woman.

“Simon de Beauvoir suggest in The second sex that, “one is not born a woman, but rather becomes one”.” (From Subjects of Sex/ Gender/ Desire, the Critical Studies Reader 2A).  This quote opened up a new avenue for my Blog. While being a ten year old all I wanted to do was grow up and be able to do things again. This is true in comparison with Kayla my cousin as all she wants is to be older. Meanwhile now that I am 20 I am still not honest with my age when I go out. I say I am 21 trying to be older to pull off what? While my parents cringe at the thought of growing older and having to retire. Why retire, yes it’s connected to becoming old and incapable of doing your job but this does not suggest your life is over. I believe when you are young and carefree, with no responsibility it’s the only time in your life that you should be ever so grateful for, because as they say after that it “goes down hill”.  Simon de Beauvoir also talks about defining a woman through the complexities of time and discourse. He suggests when a woman grows up she obtains certain principles and attributes to define her gender. Her body becomes a medium for self-representation and is distinguished by comparing it to that of the male body. So does that mean as we grow, we grow into our gender? When we are younger is it excusable to act like a “tom boy” then because at that age you are only learning and some things like the “boundary” between male and feel is blurred. When I was younger it was like this. I grew up on a farm, loved the mud and being rough and playing with the boys. However when I left and went to Johannesburg I changed and became more feminine. To my family I was known as the “joburg girl” they said it changed me. BUT what if it was merely the fact that I was exposed to a different perspective and lifestyle in Johannesburg. It wasn’t that I did not want to be the girl from the farm I just enjoy dressing up but mixing it with casual. Now when I go home I am criticized for wearing to much make-up and dressing to fancy. So in different countries I am looked at completely differently. And even though I am still learning what it means to be a woman my body is definitely my canvas I incorporate where I come from and where I have been. I don’t fall into a box of the perfect woman and it was my upbringing that defines me.