Book Hippo

Friday, November 25, 2011

Gender Difference

Many times I've caught myself trying to put my finger on the one thing that makes men and women different from each other. What mental process defines each sex. Each time I think I've got it, I have to pull back and think do I know any of the other sex with the same thoughts. First, there's the aggression. Well, women fight. Then there's the time I thought that women were more likely to turn down a job promotion if it meant that their children would suffer. But then I think of the men I know who have done the same. Mostly single fathers who are the prime parent for their little ones.
One night, I thought I'd hit on it. When men are the victims of a crime, they always say. "I'd like to have just five minutes alone with him." Meaning, of course, he'd like to fight him. Women say. "I'd like to give him a piece of my mind."
Then I remember years ago when I was young in Vancouver, BC. I took a self-defense course. They were teaching quite of few of these courses back then because the issue of rape was big in the media and women were demanding to be allowed to have a fair chance of fighting back. Now as I played street hockey with my brother as a child, I was always considered by many to be more aggressive then most girls. I thought I would do well. The teacher paired us up to learn some wrestling, to get us used to using our bodies. I was grappling for a time when I heard the teacher say, "You've got brothers, don't you?" I thought she was talking to me when I looked up she was looking at a gorgeous blond girl who had another girl at her feet on the floor. She answered, "I have seven brothers. They're all wrestlers and my father's a wrestling coach.."
I still had a bit of an attitude when the teacher paired me and her together. I thought I would have a chance to fight with her for at least a minute. Our hands touched. I was on the floor next thing I knew. She stood above me a smiled her beautiful smile. "Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked. "Yes," she said. "He's a wrestler,too." "Who wins your arguments?" I ask. "He puts up a good fight." she said.
So whenever I now think of gender reactions to crime, I wonder if somewhere out there is at least one woman who, when someone jumps out to attack her, turns and says. "All right. You're on."

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