my entire life is a political statement
...and i'm tired. It's something that Jocelyn and I were talking about today. And it seems to be a common theme among people in our feminist theory class. It's impossible to leave what we're learning in the classroom, which is good because it means it's transforming us and we're passionate about it. But at the same time it's exhausting. Suddenly I see feminist theory all around me. And how I act and feel and think...feminist theory applies to it all. And I can't do or say anything without thinking about whether my actions are in line with my beliefs. And constantly questioning why I'm doing the things I'm doing. And then there's everyone around you, who expects you to act a certain way and when you don't suddenly you're not who they thought you were. They expect every aspect of your life to be a political statement. Even relationships. Especially relationships. And clearly I don't have the ability to seperate myself from anything (which is why a career as a rape counselor might not be such a hot idea) which is putting me in serious danger of messing up every relationship ever. I'm terrified of reproducing patriarchal structures in my relationships. Why do I feel like this is not a common fear?
In conclusion, I'm crazy and need a break from women's studies.
posted by Sonal @ 12:23 a.m.
2 comments
2 Comments:
Do you know the song "Hour Follows Hour" by Ani Difranco? This post reminds me of that song - "Every time I move, I make a woman's movement."
Something really interesting that I just recently learned about is eco-feminism. It's quite amazing to see how the concepts of feminism apply to almost everything even where you might not expect it.
Sonal, I say hats off to you for the choices you have made in life. Deciding to enact your beliefs has many conesquences that can be viewed as both positive and negative. Relationships are more difficult, and there is a sense of alienation when you challenge others to start thinking about the consequences of their actions too. You are leading by example.
A lot of people would rather not think for themselves but just go with the norms because it's easy. You're challenging culture, established institutions, the way people think is normal to act - it's not an easy battle no matter how you look at it. It takes a lot of courage. It takes a lot of intelligence.
My advice would be to realize not everyone "gets it" the same way that you do. It takes time to unlearn and learn, which will make any type of relationship more difficult. But I think it will turn out to be just alright, because in the end when it's all said and done, you're doing what you think is the right thing to do.
In conclusion, you're not crazy :)
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