Open Letter: Dear Femme

[Bit]

It swings back and forth, Gemme--there have been times in history when men were QUITE the peacocks; I think Elizabethan times were one of them. Also, I think maybe other cultures than ours allow for more showiness in men.

Christie, my feminist mind totally gets it... tis something deeper at work in me, I guess, something I haven't figured out yet, that makes these symbols of femininity so important to me. My hands aren't mannish, but to me without long polished nails they look ugly and then I feel less feminine. It's REALLY disconcerting to understand this about myself. I don't want these things to be tied together, and I thought I had succeeded in UNTYING them... but here I am again. *rueful smile*

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Bit

It swings back and forth, Gemme--there have been times in history when men were QUITE the peacocks; I think Elizabethan times were one of them. Also, I think maybe other cultures than ours allow for more showiness in men.

*nods*

I think you are right. 'Showiness' is appreciated more in other countries than ours. So many of our cultures here in the U.S. emphasize a muted, almost subversive, 'showiness'. I probably could find another word other than 'showiness', but I like it.