Equality

I thought of this a few hours ago after asking a man what inspires men to get married:


If I wanted an equal, I'd be with a woman.

True story.

Will men ever catch up?

Don't get me wrong, I like mankind- they're fabulous at so many things. Nine times out of ten, I'd rather have a male friend, I'd rather call a man to change the oil or mow the grass, I'd rather watch a blow-em-up-kill-em-all movie with a man, I'd rather be surrounded by men than women because- let's be frank, here- most women are not out to be another woman's friend.

But, when you do find a woman who does want to be good to you, too, she's a rare and beautiful thing to cherish. The few women that I know to be my friend are loyal beyond anything- they'd take a bullet or empty a chamber for me, they'd help me through anything. If I want real empathy, I go to a woman. If I want that deep down, warm-the-belly-of-your-soul comfort, I go to a woman to get it. I love womankind for so many things, and being one is just as awesome, even with having to deal with boobs.
But it's rare to see a man that can keep up with any woman. It's even rarer still to find the man smart enough to know that if you'll just let her go, she'll always fly back home. They seem so scared of our "mysterious" power that they want just to devour it and never share- but women are something to share with the world. As the Indian saying goes "women hold up half the sky"- and what will happen when we're put into cages with or without bars? Let us do our thing- the world will be much better for it.

"
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps
on the back of the win
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hillfor the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Who among us- male or female- can't relate to that? We either live it or live to avoid it.

But, there's no man who will understand this the way a woman would. There is no congruency in the minds to allow it. And we'll never really be equal because of it.

By the way, the man I asked "why do men want to get married" never could answer me. He had no idea, really, why he wanted to get married beyond "all the TV I watched as a kid made me want that life". He couldn't tell me what about it made it appealing, he couldn't even tell me why he married the woman that he did marry.

I've never heard a woman say that she had no idea why marriage seemed like such a good idea.