Kristine Asato
September 16, 2010
FD#1
Ready Or Not Here We Come
Women have been able to take bolder steps in society in the last few decades. There are now women lawyers and construction workers, and we are still are able to maintain the equilibrium of being nurses and teachers. [THESIS] Throughout our lives women are put through a series of experiences that challenge our mental state. [THESIS] Girls at a young age are more vulnerable to the pressures of society and the transition to adulthood. Fortunately in some, these learning experiences can change women, and define them as a whole new person.
As children, girls exemplify their personality traits. Girls enjoy playing in the mud, and getting their knee’s scraped, the one trait they have is courage from fear. They are filled with enough confidence that convinces them that one day, they will rule the world. As a child, I dreamed of being a veterinarian, a musician, a basketball player, and one day I went so far as to dream that I would one day be a lawyer. Somewhere between then and now, all those dreams went from actualities to completely beyond my reach. But now, women have equal rights, and are well respected in numerous fields of study. Some women grow into their shoes at a later age. They realize their potential and see opportunities, and become the little girl that once dreamed of conquering the world.
The transformation from girl to teen is inevitable, and traumatic to most. During their teenage years, girls ride a rollercoaster of emotions and are just trying not to crash. It is during this time that the little girl realizes that their lot in life is to be someone that pleases others, more specifically, men. Women at this age yearn for the acceptance of their peers, and often lose their individuality. “They try on new roles every week” says psychologist Mary Pipher (428). There is pressure to become someone they don’t even know, and are frustrated with their lack of answers. The psychological burden turns teenagers away from their parents, and forces them inward. As everything around them changes, some teenagers search for some understanding, but retaliate instead. This is when self-inflicted injuries, eating disorders, drugs, and thoughts of suicide occur.
It is sad to say that some women never outgrow the mentality of their adolescent years. Some women remain prone to the judgment of their peers, and are still unsure of whom they are. Pipher claims that, “Many adult clients struggle with the same issues that overwhelmed them as adolescent girls.”(430) Pipher continues to access that some adults have succumb to the trauma and have accepted the mental instability. These are the women who have stopped fighting for themselves. Bottling up all their emotions, woman think it seems less stressful than dealing with it head on. They have conformed into a stereotype that society has dangled in the face of women decades.
As women grow up, there is still more trauma ahead. Those who have breached their adolescent years are still in for adulthood. One major difference is that women are no longer afraid to seek the advice of others. My classmate Krizia Bawilan, says in her discussion that “One of the great solutions is to seek help…the only way to help get over trauma is to talk it out, learn to cope with those issues in a healthy way.” The woman going through menopause is better prepared for the trauma that is about to unfold. There is also a great deal of experience that can be used in this transition from adolescence to adulthood. My classmate Shannon Guerrero explains that, “Life is full of lessons…it's what you do with what you already have that makes a person.” With a little more advantage, women are able to face adulthood with the same conviction they had as a child.
Throughout our lives, women go through so much internally. As children, girls have an overstock of curiosity and enthusiasm that leave them innocent. Then through their adolescent years, teenage girls are introduced to a new world and are mentally challenged with its new rituals. Most women grow immensely from their experiences, and are better women because of it. They are able to share what they have learned throughout their years, to those willing to listen. They are able to say they understand because plain and simply, they do. These women also double as mentors to a future generation. A traumatic experience helps us grow as a person, and women having to adjust to their gender role, grow the best. Anyone who says different must be a man. So ready or not world, a new woman is here.
Pipher, Mary. “Sapling in the Storm.” Dialogues. An Argument Rhetoric and Reader Sixth Edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 425-432.
Bawilan, Krizia. “causes and solutions of gender role trauma” Group Discussion 7 Sep. 2010. English 215W. 16 Sep. 2010
Guerrero, Shannon. “Causes & Solutions” Group Discussion 7 Sep. 2010. English 215W 16 Sep. 2010
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