One of THOSE women

I theorize that the reasoning behind adolescent girls struggles in school is confusion about self and the struggle between the sexes. I think it is hard for girls to identify with someone that is a good role model. It is often easier for boys to find good role models, whether in sports, movie directors, or popular media. While for girls, who do they have to aspire to be—Britney Spears, I think we can all agree that people like her are not good role models for girls. I know when I was young I didn’t feel like I looked up to anyone. I didn’t grow up in the best family environment, so looking up to my mother wasn’t an option. Whenever I was asked who my hero was as an essay question I could never answer. Yeah I would make something up, but truly I always wanted to answer, no one because there wasn’t anyone I knew that I thought of as a good role model or hero. My story isn’t uncommon. There are many girls who grow up in bad family environments that feel lost and hopeless. I think there should be more role models for girls to identify with.

On page 126 Sarah Harrison writes about how she feels unsure of herself and self conscious. Although I am not quite sure what she is referring to in her essay, I do know the feeling of insecurities and the problems they cause. She implies she is turning into one of THOSE women, women who are not desired, women who are the opposite of the girls she is trying to impress. During my adolescence I didn’t feel very comfortable with myself either. I felt insecure not because of my looks, but because of my class. I don’t come from a family that has a lot of money, so when I was young we always had to make sacrifices. I never wore the cool cloths and often times my cloths never even fit properly. So, in turn I never felt like a fit in and I never really did.

Prom was not the highlight of my senior year at all. In fact, I choose not to go to my senior prom because I didn’t like all the hype involved. Not going to my prom was my way of making a stance against society’s norms and setting myself apart from the rest. Rather than a late entrance I chose no entrance.

I enjoyed reading the progress made for girls in India. Education is the most important asset a person can poses and because of a bike 17 girls who otherwise would not finish past grade VIII can continue their education and maybe go to college. This little bit of hope has even begun to change the community, by inspiring more girls to dream big and continue their education. The future of this community has ultimately changed for the better. I feel for these girls and I am excited to hear more about their progress.