I am going to have to remember not to renew my newspaper subscription because it is interfering with the writing of my book, also, perhaps because the Toronto Sun has photos of the Sunshine Girl, but not the Sunshine Boy (it used to), or Sunshine Pet. Also, the crosswords appear to be all from the States. I love the States, but would they be pleased working Canada’s crosswords? New York is my favourite city, but I don’t want to do the New York or California’s crosswords. We spell the same words differently and we need to know our own stuff. I remember as a child, kids thought the President was the Prime minister and what kind of crossword puzzles did they have then? I score better with the “coffee” crosswords or the universal crosswords. I have read this paper forever and stopped when I would get the Toronto Star for free. Sometimes when I read the free paper 24, I also find the news more accurate than the one’s you have to pay for. I am always surprised by the discrepancies by the different newspapers and television news. Who am I to believe? Is the woman who was raped and killed in India a medical student or studying to become a physiotherapist? If it is not known, why not just say student? If it is an error why not correct it at the next newscast? Perhaps I have been too bombarded with the world news and perhaps I should read the paper at the end of day instead of the beginning of the day.
Today the paper reveals, “”When you see a woman straddle, she looks like a man. But if she sits side-saddle, she looks like a woman,” said Suaidi Yahya, mayor of Lhokeumawe in Aceh, the only Indonesian province that follows Sharia law.” (Forgive my quotations which do not perform as I would like on my cheap laptop- Apple where are you…..one day) Apparently this is to become a new bylaw. What is even more comical is when I hear that there are communities in Toronto who would like to see Sharia law here and are trying to work on getting that approved. It is my opinion that Sharia law is more a way of controlling women politically, than it has anything to do with religion. How can these men run a city, let alone a country, when they are so closed minded and I am going to say it, “stupid” (oops, I am being fallacious but could not control myself this morning).
It is no wonder that our world is so chaotic with little value placed on people in general, let alone the animals within it or the environment. There are always consequences for all our actions. Maybe it is time for everyone to smell the coffee. I have had my dosage for the day.
I wrote a paper about the Afghanistan woman in my undergrad because a speaker who was scheduled to talk at Osgoode, could not. She had to find a replacement. She told me that she had been warned after speaking in the States (this was before the war), that they would actually kill her, if she did so again. Can you imagine killing a woman in my city, in my country by the Taliban? My imagination is working overtime. When is enough, enough? Do wars begin because they want to protect the women and children within? Of course not. I will post that paper eventually, but I have to type it first. I don’t have a scanner and I don’t have it on my usb. Oh, well. How does this all relate to Pastoral Counselling/psychotherapy?
What damage does it do to women when they are prohibited to enjoy daily life, as anyone else? What damage does it do when women question their femininity, because of what others tell them? Short dresses for some women, make up, high heels (not good for your feet) and all the frills and glitter are great for some women some of the time or all the time. For other women, they feel better with running shoes and track pants. It is all okay. A woman is not manlike because she rides a bicycle or any other mode of travel, including a motorbike. This “Suaidi Yahya” would not know what a woman is, if she fell on him. Dress and deportment is a matter of taste. I may like a man in a suit or I may prefer him in ………………Does this mean he is not a man, if he is in any sort of clothing? What does this to the men who want to protect their wives, girlfriends, and daughters who want to “straddle their motorbike”? When is there a point when they are threatened? How many men have been killed?
Have you been told you are not feminine because of the way you dress, your occupation or your mannerism? How has this affected you? Are you feeling demeaned? Are you feeling inferior? Are you feeling controlled? What can you do about this? If this is occurring at work, report it. If this has been part of your culture and you are feeling weighed down, see someone to sort out your feelings and discover who you really are. What do you think? Men, are you feeling overwhelmed by cultural norms? Do you know how you feel and why you feel them? What do you think?
Now back to my book!
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