Random thoughts

[fuzzyred]

I was driving in my car today, wearing shorts, and a stray thought popped into my head. "Why are women expected to shave their legs?" I mean, seriously, women and men both have hair there, you see that body part when either (any) gender wears shorts, why are women expected to shave? Mind you, I usually don't, because I often wear pants and it doesn't bother me anyway but it is commonly expected. Especially with a skirt or dress, not just shorts, or bathing suits. Why is hair un-womanly? Why don't men have to shave? WHY DO PEOPLE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT HAIR?

*deep breath* Sorry about that, I'm calm now. It just seems like such an arbitrary thing, and I'm curious where it came from, and why we all continue to buy into it. Of course, if you like shaving, or want to for personal reasons (whatever they may be), that is certainly your prerogative. It just seems unfair to me, is all.

Comments

[fuzzyred]

My legs are mostly the ones I ignore. The hair there doesn't bother me, it usually doesn't get seen, and I only shave it if I feel like it, because sometimes hairless is "prettier" in my head. Other places, its itchy otherwise, so I shave for practical reasons, which is probably also TMI (oops). I feel like Europe has different priorities than North America. Somethings they are more relaxed about, and others they are more picky about. There is good and bad everywhere I guess.

[technoshaman]

The other thing? If you have to wear hose/stockings/tights/whathaveyou? Having fur there ITCHES. (I did Early American Christmas Dinners for four years. Knee breeches and stockings were de rigueur.) (Perhaps that's why a Scot's kilt hose are too thick to catch on one's leg-feathers?)

Europe definitely does have different priorities. How the treat their eggs, for one thing. I scoured the ENTIRE refrigerator section in the co-op in Gateshead, no eggs.

They were across the aisle, on a regular shelf. Which is perfectly safe if you don't chemistry the hell out of them like us Yanks do.

Oh, and religion, too. Tomorrow's a holiday for us heatherns, and I'll bet a majority of the Christians in Britain know it. And I remember my once-companion's co-worker's reaction to me: "Ooooh, she's got a shaman..." not negative at all; I was considered somewhat exotic and to be envied. The fact that a dear friend is an out-of-the-closet kitchen witch was absolutely no barrier to her being elected parish councillor, nor running for MP... and the parish church in the next village but one welcomes her musical talents with open arms. She's been friends with at least two vicars...

But, yeah, you do you. As for me, pretty may turn the head, but clever and kind and funny wins the heart.

[fuzzyred]

I never thought of that. I don't wear pantyhose or stockings very often, so it's not experience I really have, but it does make sense. I imagine the hair might also get caught on the hose, and those things are delicate enough as is, without adding things for them to snag on.

That sounds a lot healthier overall, and more like how things used to be done.

That sounds very refreshing. Open-mindedness is definitely a thing we need more of, the world over but especially here I think.

Yes, substance is more important than flash, though having eye candy never hurts ;)