hug it out

Once upon a time, I wished myself a man, primarily for the ease of certainly bodily functions. Oh, how that would simplify camping and long bus rides! Oh, to be free of worry about the dreaded "surprise" during travel!

Then I read this and watched this. After I recover from choking and falling off my chair in laughter, I breathe a sigh of relief. I have never thought about this; I've never had to. It is entirely possible this is only of concern for men in America or men in the West, where masculinity is at once protected and doubted, and certainly overly scrutinized. But this is but one of many areas in which seemingly simple decisions are complicated by the appearance of masculinity, or the lack thereof. For example, I distinctly remember boarding a rocking boat from a slippery dock with the helping hand of a male crew member, only to then watch men of all ages risk slipping and doing a face-plant so as to avoid taking (or touching) another man's hand.

It's good to be a woman.