Big City, Small Observations

Big City, Small Observations

Lately, we’ve been spending a bit more time around driven, career-oriented professionals. As we pass on the streets and rub shoulders on public transit, I’ve noticed some things. Generally speaking, the men seem to be more polite. I’m not saying all the women in this city are jerks and all the men are chivalrous, but there are definitely some patterns. On more than one occasion, men have held elevators and gone out of their way to open doors. In contrast, women have  side-stepped me wrestling a stroller into a building and stared blankly at me through closing elevator doors while I wait for the next one. While the encounters are trivial, they’ve got me thinking about our world’s evolving woman.  I have nothing against working women and I think I have some feminist tendencies myself  (Noel begs you that if you ever send us a piece of mail, please do not address it to Mr. & Mrs. Noel Merket),  but it makes me sad that some women feel they have to become cold and hardened in order to be successful. It reminds me of this quote:

The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity (“The Joy of Womanhood” by Margaret Nadauld).

 

I’m making a mental note to teach any daughters we may have to be courteous and not take crap from anyone.

On a slightly different note,  I’ve been approached by people asking for directions a lot lately. I find this amusing because I’m horrible with directions (for the longest time after moving to Colorado I couldn’t figure out which way was North and which way was South) and I’m definitely not an expert on the area. I couldn’t figure out why people didn’t ask someone who looked like they belonged here, but then realized that the woman with the stroller and the polka dotted rain boots probably looks more approachable than the people in suits with blackberries.

Here’s to babies that make the work-weary smile, bright colors in drab weather, and being kind to strangers, happy Thursday!

2 thoughts on “Big City, Small Observations

  1. Great post! I find your thoughts on the “evolving woman” quite true (unfortunately), but I love that quote by Sister Nadauld.

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