In my human development class, we learned that women usually live longer than men because they tend to get health check ups regularly. Upon hearing this, I thought, "Well, I'm going to die early like a man." It's been over three years since my last physical. I thought I had a growth on one of my eyelids for like, two weeks. I kept thinking I would go to the doctor to see about it, but I never did. Then one day it was gone, and my inaction was validated.
That's not all. I mean, I can be feminine; I like dressing up and doing my hair. I'm overly fond of animals, and I like to talk about my emotions. But I've got a wide streak of masculinity. I don't clean, I don't care about dust or dirt or washing my hands. I express affection by punching people. I don't craft, and I love video games and fantasy and superheroes.
I think that's part of why I became a feminist. I don't fit into a stereotyped gender box, and I've learned that it's okay. I want everyone else to be comfortable with their boxes as well.
I'm not the only one, either. Roy taught me to stop fighting to fit into a stereotype when he started expressing his feminine side. At Christmas, Mom got Cat and I stick on fingernail polish, but Roy got nothing. "Christmas is ruined," he deadpanned, until we realized there were enough safety extras for all of us to have red and black swirly nails. Later that day the three of us sat at the kitchen table. Cat took her time, meticulously applying each nail. Roy and I hurried through, ignoring the not-quite fitted nails and snagging the edges within minutes. We're a mix of femininity and masculinity, my brother and me, wanting nail polish but not caring if it looks like crap.
A couple days later while discussing high school life, Cat asked, "Wait, what instruments did you guys play?"
"I played saxophone, and Roy played clarinet," I explained.
"Of course you did," she smirked.
We're a gender-bendy family, and I love it.
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