I like how you illustrated this in a different way! You showed the beauty despite the unusual sensation from the salt, which didn’t stop the character from loving the ocean
This made me laugh, more than once! I don't know if that was your intention, but I think it comes down to relatability: We've all been in this exact same situation, many times over throughout our lives, and I'll admit I've made snap-judgments about someone's manners and character when they let a door swing into my face right behind them, or offer no smile of acknowledgment when I hold the door myself. Asking ourselves if someone is just having a bad day and in their own head is a valuable question we can apply to so many other social situations in which someone appears a little uncouth, or is acting differently than normal, I think. We often blame ourselves for that and wonder what we did wrong, and take things as a personal affront, when most of the time... honestly, yeah, someone's probably just having a rough one! Door-holding is quite a narrow topic to focus on, but it definitely did get me thinking, I'll admit!
I've never thought about equality in this way, or made these associations before: the shooting stars in the sky, the pennies in the bottom of a well, as HOPE for a brighter future sparkling before us as if within our grasp, but always fleeting or always sinking, ultimately unattainable. But these metaphors make perfect sense, now that you've drawn the comparisons. Casting wishes will only get us so far, I suppose; they are not movements toward real change. I think we should still keep tossing our coins and gazing out at the sky, wishing and dreaming, nonetheless. Because sometimes hope is the only thing that keeps us steady enough to move forward, one foot at a time.
It WILL matter, because YOU matter. I'm the same way about hugs: Often I feel awkward and uncomfortable and all I want to do is take a step backward, only to realize when it's over that it was very much needed. What you're feeling is extremely human; many of us crave gentle touch, a warm embrace, a friendly pat on the shoulders or the head, even if there's a part of us that has built up walls and feels protective or defensive. A hug has actual measured physiological effects on us that we naturally desire -- as in, there have been actual studies done about the release of oxytocin, reduced levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and lowered blood pressure and heart rate. You're not alone in wanting that release, but also having an aversion to the emotional vulnerability that comes with a hug. Those things are not mutually exclusive! I hope you can cut yourself a little slack for not always being able to read the opposing signals your body and brain are giving you. It happens to the best of us. And I'll say again: You DO matter.
This notion that women are meant to find fulfillment in household duties (cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, though I know you didn't touch on the latter), and stifle their personality and intellectual curiosity in the process of these traditional domestic pursuits, has been a part of the feminist discourse for a long time -- as least as far back as Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963 (still worth reading today). But despite the strides we have made toward equality, you need only to look at data about the modern-day division of labor within a household to know that "women's work" is still often considered just that. This quietly charged and quietly profound powerhouse of a poem challenges this custom, and makes it clear we still have much work to do.
"What have we done to be put in parentheses?" is such a strong and potent question; I honestly feel like you couldn't have found a better example or turn of phrase that gets to the heart of the issue, to feminism itself. As women, we are so often given parentheses around our very existence, but they are wrapped around our actions and proudest achievements too, explicitly or implicitly: "She ran the marathon with such endurance (for a woman)"; "She did well on the chemistry test (for a female student). You've really hit the nail RIGHT on the head, in a way that makes the reader challenge their own internal biases.
Love this idea, riphssmyth! Let us know if you want help setting it up.
Beautifully and perfectly said!
I like how you illustrated this in a different way! You showed the beauty despite the unusual sensation from the salt, which didn’t stop the character from loving the ocean
Thank you so much!
This made me laugh, more than once! I don't know if that was your intention, but I think it comes down to relatability: We've all been in this exact same situation, many times over throughout our lives, and I'll admit I've made snap-judgments about someone's manners and character when they let a door swing into my face right behind them, or offer no smile of acknowledgment when I hold the door myself. Asking ourselves if someone is just having a bad day and in their own head is a valuable question we can apply to so many other social situations in which someone appears a little uncouth, or is acting differently than normal, I think. We often blame ourselves for that and wonder what we did wrong, and take things as a personal affront, when most of the time... honestly, yeah, someone's probably just having a rough one! Door-holding is quite a narrow topic to focus on, but it definitely did get me thinking, I'll admit!
I've never thought about equality in this way, or made these associations before: the shooting stars in the sky, the pennies in the bottom of a well, as HOPE for a brighter future sparkling before us as if within our grasp, but always fleeting or always sinking, ultimately unattainable. But these metaphors make perfect sense, now that you've drawn the comparisons. Casting wishes will only get us so far, I suppose; they are not movements toward real change. I think we should still keep tossing our coins and gazing out at the sky, wishing and dreaming, nonetheless. Because sometimes hope is the only thing that keeps us steady enough to move forward, one foot at a time.
It WILL matter, because YOU matter. I'm the same way about hugs: Often I feel awkward and uncomfortable and all I want to do is take a step backward, only to realize when it's over that it was very much needed. What you're feeling is extremely human; many of us crave gentle touch, a warm embrace, a friendly pat on the shoulders or the head, even if there's a part of us that has built up walls and feels protective or defensive. A hug has actual measured physiological effects on us that we naturally desire -- as in, there have been actual studies done about the release of oxytocin, reduced levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and lowered blood pressure and heart rate. You're not alone in wanting that release, but also having an aversion to the emotional vulnerability that comes with a hug. Those things are not mutually exclusive! I hope you can cut yourself a little slack for not always being able to read the opposing signals your body and brain are giving you. It happens to the best of us. And I'll say again: You DO matter.
Fighting for the same cause is what unifies us :)
This notion that women are meant to find fulfillment in household duties (cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, though I know you didn't touch on the latter), and stifle their personality and intellectual curiosity in the process of these traditional domestic pursuits, has been a part of the feminist discourse for a long time -- as least as far back as Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963 (still worth reading today). But despite the strides we have made toward equality, you need only to look at data about the modern-day division of labor within a household to know that "women's work" is still often considered just that. This quietly charged and quietly profound powerhouse of a poem challenges this custom, and makes it clear we still have much work to do.
"What have we done to be put in parentheses?" is such a strong and potent question; I honestly feel like you couldn't have found a better example or turn of phrase that gets to the heart of the issue, to feminism itself. As women, we are so often given parentheses around our very existence, but they are wrapped around our actions and proudest achievements too, explicitly or implicitly: "She ran the marathon with such endurance (for a woman)"; "She did well on the chemistry test (for a female student). You've really hit the nail RIGHT on the head, in a way that makes the reader challenge their own internal biases.