The war of Feminism.

The weekend was filled with beautiful weather and glorious sunshine. That I decided to take advantage of it and wear a skirt. A skater skirt to be exact and to top it off, I went bare legs. I decided to be brave enough to bare my legs in hope they gain some sun on them. For me personally I rarely show off much above the knee, but with the skater skirt we are meeting mid thigh. It was a daring approach on my behalf and I attempted the confident walk. I was nervous to walk out of the door, even though I was extremely comfortable in the outfit I have chosen.
Walking through the streets into town, I was met with longer stares from passers by, whether they was in cars, bikes or by foot. I was met by 'wolf whistles' (do we still call it that any more?), a couple of beeps of the horns.
I was enjoying this attention I was gaining. It was making me feel more confident for walking down the street. I could feel my stride being more confident, my back becoming straighter and I was holding my head up high. I was glowing in this attention and I was happy with my body that day.

(Not my legs by the way)

I was then met with conflicted emotions. Should I feel that way? I was enjoying the attention from the opposite sex that was objectifying me. I shouldn't be enjoying this. We are living in an age where women and men should be treated as equal. Shouldn't I be disgusted by this? Should I have cringed and shied away from the attention I was getting, because they was not admiring my mind or intelligence but the body I have displayed?

I then remember all the times, I have passed a man I do not know and objectify them. Admiring their built, the way their hair is and the way they have such piercing blue eyes. I'm a huge sucker for admiring dark hair and blue eyed men. It turns out, that in this age men and women are being equal with each other by admiring the bodies we have been given. There wasn't a war of feminism in the way I was being called out for braving the weather and bearing my legs. It was common. Men are still open and still like to vocalise their admiration of women. Whereas we women are still content in being more private and quiet about our admiration. Perhaps we should be more vocal like the opposite sex? Well, I don't know about you but I still prefer being secretive about it. 

So I decided to just embrace it. I felt comfortable in my own body, I was able to go out showing a little more leg than what I normally would have done. In return for my 'out of the normal' actions, I was met with in some ways an appreciative response that made me feel more comfortable and more confident in my body. I'm not saying it was appropriate, but it did for once make me feel sexy. Which is something I am not quite familiar in feeling. I turned it over for my own personal gain and made myself feel better. 

When I was thinking all this over, I kept referring back to this one 'How I Met You Mother' episode I watched. Where the gang all went to a gay bar. The boys was happy and thrilled to be gaining attention and being 'hit on' by other boys at the bar, where as the girls was happy for not gaining any attention. After awhile the boys grew tiresome of the attention and the girls soon craved for it. 

We as human beings love attention and if it means being subjected to being objectify for it, then so be it. At least we are being appreciated and if it makes you feel loads happier or more confident, then we shouldn't say no right?

Claire.