ALTHOUGH PRECEPTS IN THIS SOCIETY ARE CHANGING GRADUALLY, WE STILL FIND THAT WOMEN ARE PORTRAYED AS THE WEAK SEX, THE SAME WAY THAT MEN ARE PORTRAYED AS THE STRONG SEX AND THE ONES THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOW THEIR EMOTIONS. BOTH OF THEM ARE STEREOTYPES RIGHT? AS WOMEN WE CAN BE AMAZINGLY PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY STRONG. I KNOW SOME WOMEN THAT CAN BEAT THE *#@#! OUT OF ANY MAN AND WHO EMOTIONALLY CAN ENDURE THE TOUGHEST HARDSHIPS AND FIND A WAY OUT OF IT. AT THE SAME TIME I KNOW “REAL MEN” WHO CRY. I CLEARLY REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SAW MY FATHER CRYING, HE WAS IN HIS 30’S AND HIS FATHER, WHO WAS OUR IDOL, HAD DIED. I WAS 9 YEARS OLD, AND WHEN I SAW HIS TEARS IT MADE ME FEEL VERY SAD AND CONFUSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT MEN DIDN’T CRY. I HAVE SEEN MY GROWN UP SON CRYING FOR HIS KIDS WHEN THEY LEAVE BECAUSE THEY LIVE FAR AWAY, AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL IMPOTENT BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE SEEN MY BROTHER-IN-LAW SUFFERING FROM AN ILLNESS CRYING BECAUSE HE IS HOPELESS IN A HOSPITAL BED, AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL HUMBLE TOWARDS LIFE.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHEN MEN CRY THAT CAN BE AMUSING. WHEN MY BROTHER WAS A TEENAGER IN THE MIDDLE OF A GATHERING WITH FOOD AND “TEQUILAS” HE STARTED TO CRY BECAUSE HIS FAVORITE SOCCER TEAM HAD LOST. OR TIMES WHEN I HAVE LAUGHED SO HARD WITH MY SON AND TEARS OF JOY POUR OUT OF OUR EYES. I ALSO HEARD THAT LYNDON B JOHNSON WOULD CRY EASILY AND YET HE WAS A POWERFUL MAN. I AM A BIG FAN OF SOCCER, AND IN THE LAST GAME BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND CHILE THE SUPERSTAR PLAYER, MESSI, MISSED A PENALTY SHOT CAUSING THE TEAM TO LOSE THE AMERICA CUP. AS SOON AS HE MISSED HE SAT DOWN AND STARTED TO CRY, AND HE DIDN’T STOP UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME. MY HEART WENT TO HIM BECAUSE I KNEW HOW MUCH IT MEANT FOR HIM AND HIS COUNTRY TO LOSE THE CUP.
THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES WHERE THERE IS A BABY GIRL AND A BABY BOY WHO ARE BOTH CRYING. PEOPLE WERE SHOWN THE TWO BABIES AND WERE OBSERVED TO SEE WHO THEY WOULD CALM DOWN FIRST. THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME THEY WERE INCLINED TOWARDS THE COMFORTING THE FEMALE BABY, THEREFORE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT SHE WAS CRYING AND NEEDED TO BE ATTENDED TO. WHEREAS, THE BABY BOY WOULD BE LEFT TO COMFORT HIMSELF. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT IS UNDERSTOOD BY THE BOY? HIS CRYING IS DISMISSED. IT IS LESS ACCEPTED. DO WOMEN CRY MORE BECAUSE IT IS SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE? IF THAT IS SO, WOULD MEN CRY A LOT MORE IF IT WAS ALSO ACCEPTED?
I LOVE A MAN WHO CAN CRY. TO ME IT SHOWS THAT HE IS SECURE IN HIMSELF AS A MAN AND IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT BEING JUDGED FOR HIS “STRENGTH.” IT SHOWS ME THAT HE HAS DEVELOPED DIFFERENTLY, AGAINST THE “NORM,” AND THEREFORE A MORE CONNECTED, FREE THINKING PERSON.
I WONDER HOW MUCH OUR AVERAGE MEN HIDE WHEN THEY CRY…
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD CAN SOMEBODY WRITE ME AND TELL ME?!
PLEASE WRITE ME TO MY NEW EMAIL GUADA755@OUTLOOK.COM