Living the life of a female is more complex and a little perplexing if you do not have the usual feminine mindset. I am sure to receive backlash from my female counterparts when I point out the innate whim of a conformist female, who place presentation over personality.
But I just want to pour my heart out and relieve the pressure of living under the constant torture of being presentable. Call it social fabric or personal choice women grow up to be more conscious of their social presentation instead of free existence. The yesteryear writers had the liberty of bringing the female vanity, whim, and conceit to the forefront because they did not live under the pressure of being ‘politically correct’. I am sure it would have been difficult for them to get the cult status had they been born with that sensibility in the 21st century. Remember, Bernard Shaw’s satiric sketch of Raina (heroine) in the play Arms and the Man.
Recently, I read an interesting piece of news about Japanese working women that they are revolting against the mandatory ‘high heel culture’ at work place with the hashtag# ‘KuToo’. I wondered what took these educated, independent, intelligent women so long to revolt against this fixation of its own kind. Not that the world is unaware of the ill effects of high heels on physical well-being. But the women think it to be a privilege to follow this sickening status quo and bear a scorn for those who do not fall in place.
Long back, I remember a friend of mine telling me, while briefing about a probable interview, that I need to look stylish because the female boss did not appreciate ordinariness in appearance. He could not exactly delve into the niceties of female fashion nuances. But what I could get from his perspective was that I should carry the make up well and preferably do not opt Indian wear.
I got up the next morning and with my sensibility of what was a presentable look, quickly took a shower and got ready. It was a typical hot and humid day in Delhi and by the time I reached the auto rickshaw stand in the scorching sun, little drops of sweat settled on my forehead. On the way, my earrings got tangled in the wet hair and the ruffling wind, and my shoulder length hair got so messy that I did not have any choice but to tie it into a bun. And there I was, absolutely contrary to the expected persona, I was supposed to be in.
Quivering, I went in for the interview and the entire room had such a strong fragrance of the Gucci perfume that I was saved from the embarrassment of forgetting to put one. I knew, I screwed it absolutely! My prospective boss was in a hurry, she passed a glance, saw me from head to foot, and then looked at my resume. Lucky was I that a particular word on my resume impressed her, and realizing the fact that Sub editors (copyeditors) are not the face of the organization and have a dreary existence contrary to the glamor, media companies exude, I finally landed a job with a desktop and a chair. Thank God for it who even makes non conformists like me, survive at the periphery of the colossal female sham of a perfect appearance.
Also read | Happiness, Life and Technology Playbook: What is the purpose of life?
Also read | Monday Motivation: What stops us from being successful
Also read | How much do we know about ourselves?
Also read | Kal Se Pakka! Why some of us procrastinate all the time