A Teenage Girl
Hi.
I'm a teenage girl; I don't claim to be ordinary or average, and some - perhaps many - would call me a freak, but I'd like to think that I'm recognisable as a human being and a member of Western society. I count on my fingers sometimes, but I'm also good at maths. I can go from normal to bitch in 0.5 seconds, but I try not to because I'd like to be a decent human being, thank you very much. I don't always act sentimental and weepy, nor do I act passive-aggressively. I've made stupid mistakes, but I've tried my damnedest to fix them and move on with my life. I don't go in for soppy stuff or cheesy pick-up lines, and I try to communicate my feelings rather than expecting everyone to be psychic. As long as my lungs are fine, I can breathe perfectly damn well without a guy, thank you very much, and I certainly don't need him to "complete me". I do want to be loved - I won't deny that - but it's pretty low down on my list compared to freedom. Contrary to what Twitter says, I don't want Justin Bieber as a boyfriend or a knight in shining armour; neither do I want a wedding straight out of a fairytale (I don't plan on marrying). I don't want Miley Cyrus's hair or Jessica Alba's body. I'm sick of this...this infantilisation, almost, of females. I don't know if this is true of every girl, but I know that I want - more than anything - to be an independent woman, a physicist, a formidable person who can think for herself. I don't want to be protected by a big strong man; I don't want to be treated like a princess, and I don't want a fancy wedding.
I only wish that were true of every other girl. I only wish that girls weren't spoon-fed this sentimental nonsense, which encourages them to remain needy and dependent forever instead of growing up and taking responsibility for something beyond doing their hair.
Not all teenage girls are like them. Not all teenage girls are like me, either. I'd wager that most are somewhere in between, and I can't claim to speak for anyone except myself. But on my own behalf, and (I hope) on behalf of others, all the mush you see about girls just wanting to be loved isn't true. All the stereotypes you see are blatant lies. All the clinginess, the neediness, the fakeness, belongs to a few bad apples - there are girls out there with brains. I shouldn't even have to say that - it should be self-evident.
I'll give you this: we're not easy to find. But we exist.
I'm a teenage girl; I don't claim to be ordinary or average, and some - perhaps many - would call me a freak, but I'd like to think that I'm recognisable as a human being and a member of Western society. I count on my fingers sometimes, but I'm also good at maths. I can go from normal to bitch in 0.5 seconds, but I try not to because I'd like to be a decent human being, thank you very much. I don't always act sentimental and weepy, nor do I act passive-aggressively. I've made stupid mistakes, but I've tried my damnedest to fix them and move on with my life. I don't go in for soppy stuff or cheesy pick-up lines, and I try to communicate my feelings rather than expecting everyone to be psychic. As long as my lungs are fine, I can breathe perfectly damn well without a guy, thank you very much, and I certainly don't need him to "complete me". I do want to be loved - I won't deny that - but it's pretty low down on my list compared to freedom. Contrary to what Twitter says, I don't want Justin Bieber as a boyfriend or a knight in shining armour; neither do I want a wedding straight out of a fairytale (I don't plan on marrying). I don't want Miley Cyrus's hair or Jessica Alba's body. I'm sick of this...this infantilisation, almost, of females. I don't know if this is true of every girl, but I know that I want - more than anything - to be an independent woman, a physicist, a formidable person who can think for herself. I don't want to be protected by a big strong man; I don't want to be treated like a princess, and I don't want a fancy wedding.
I only wish that were true of every other girl. I only wish that girls weren't spoon-fed this sentimental nonsense, which encourages them to remain needy and dependent forever instead of growing up and taking responsibility for something beyond doing their hair.
Not all teenage girls are like them. Not all teenage girls are like me, either. I'd wager that most are somewhere in between, and I can't claim to speak for anyone except myself. But on my own behalf, and (I hope) on behalf of others, all the mush you see about girls just wanting to be loved isn't true. All the stereotypes you see are blatant lies. All the clinginess, the neediness, the fakeness, belongs to a few bad apples - there are girls out there with brains. I shouldn't even have to say that - it should be self-evident.
I'll give you this: we're not easy to find. But we exist.
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