What We Hunger For: Deep Thoughts
"Just because you survive something does not mean you are strong."
To be completely honest, this story was one that I could almost watch in my head. Perhaps part of that was because it was written vividly with strong imagery and diction; perhaps because I could see a reflection of myself in Gay's story.
This year has been a transformative one for me, as I have learned to become more self-aware and acknowledging that there is immense power in naming our struggles. I am consistently told by my friends how "strong, courageous, and unfuckwithable" I am... which, I think, genuinely stems from my inability to be comfortable. I've survived too much. I've been exposed to and made it through too much... and apparently, the fact that I managed to make it "out" of those immediate situations is seen as strong. However, I am very thankful that Gay made the comment above. To me, I've always seen strength as how people cope with the long-term effects of something, and the extent to which many of my past experiences consistently penetrate my everyday life, I would argue that I am growing in the strength but have not completely grasped it yet. Boys have had a tendency to see this strength (or growth in it) as a threat; there are very few in my life who find it admirable. This is the case for many women, and I feel like it is largely attributed to the fact that women's voices have been repeatedly silenced in our society, government, and even in simple conversation.
"What We Hunger For" drop-kicked me out of my comfort zone of denial. I am still recovering and processing the movie my mind decided to play as I read.
To be completely honest, this story was one that I could almost watch in my head. Perhaps part of that was because it was written vividly with strong imagery and diction; perhaps because I could see a reflection of myself in Gay's story.
This year has been a transformative one for me, as I have learned to become more self-aware and acknowledging that there is immense power in naming our struggles. I am consistently told by my friends how "strong, courageous, and unfuckwithable" I am... which, I think, genuinely stems from my inability to be comfortable. I've survived too much. I've been exposed to and made it through too much... and apparently, the fact that I managed to make it "out" of those immediate situations is seen as strong. However, I am very thankful that Gay made the comment above. To me, I've always seen strength as how people cope with the long-term effects of something, and the extent to which many of my past experiences consistently penetrate my everyday life, I would argue that I am growing in the strength but have not completely grasped it yet. Boys have had a tendency to see this strength (or growth in it) as a threat; there are very few in my life who find it admirable. This is the case for many women, and I feel like it is largely attributed to the fact that women's voices have been repeatedly silenced in our society, government, and even in simple conversation.
"What We Hunger For" drop-kicked me out of my comfort zone of denial. I am still recovering and processing the movie my mind decided to play as I read.
I really enjoyed this entry, I related to her essay on a similar level to you. Men are so often threatened by the thought of a strong or dominant woman. This definitely stems from the long term effects of women being shut down consistently throughout history. Therefore, when a woman actually stands up for herself, it is seen as out of the ordinary. This goes to show that our society still hasn't come very far at all.
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