Ever since
I was 14 I was fed magazines telling me about the “type of guy” I wanted and who
would be my “perfect match”. Society would tell me I wanted a guy that was
mysterious and knew how to play the “game” but that I also needed a guy that
picked up the check and opened doors for me. I was taught that this guy had to
be the elusive and sexy bad boy, but be able to pull off a Ralph Lauren Polo
sweater set and talk business in front of mom and dad. It was at a young age
that I realized I wasn’t the only one being scrutinized for compatibility and
hopes for procreation.
It has come
to no surprise that we live in a bilateral world, but women are not the only
people in the “this or that” category. Once it became time to date I would
worry about the guys I would date to show off to my friends and family. The
people in my life, like most loved ones, had unrealistic expectations about the
guy I would bring home. This guy had to be taller than me, at the same level of
intellect as me, be “manly” enough to defend me from all of downtown Orlando
but sensitive enough to watch the Notebook and cry with me, and not to mention
be able to keep up with my Irish family. This was a lot of pressure to put on
any potential date I may have, not to mention that this was a lot of pressure
to put on me.
The
unrealistic expectations put on young men and women cause a lot of confusion,
and more importantly a lot of heart break. We are spoon fed what we are
supposed to find “attractive” and “sexy”. As women we are supposed to want the
Channing Tatum looking firefighter, when in reality a lot of us would be happy with
Jim from The Office. Society has us
confused with the definition of both masculinity and femininity that both
parties are unsatisfied. If we take a step back from what society wants and
date people outside of Cosmo, we may
actually find what we really want, and that is our “perfect match”.
1 comment:
This was just my thoughts recently and I thought I would share them on the blog :)
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