Thursday, August 11, 2005

Yesterday I watched the final episode of Living Single, which is one of my favorite shows(ok, so its been off the air),but alas I found myself cringing as Maxine Shaw attorney-at-law relented and gave herself to Kyle Barker. While the show didnt say that she gave up her career for him, and indeed hinted that he returned from London for her, I found myself not liking it, prefering that Maxine stay single (away from Kyle) and continue as a successful lawyer, with her child, without him.

So my question is, why is it that I dont like the idea of anyone giving up their career for someone(which I totally don't like)? Further, why is it that I always seem to prefer the image of the single, successful person(especially woman), especially women like Maxine Shaw attorney at law and dislike it if they find someone and alter that image in any way?Does it have to do with not liking the idea of submission, which I dislike wholeheartedly? I remember when I was in the seventh grade, one of my teachers asked the class a series of questions like Will you ever get married? If so, when? What do you want to be when you grow up? Alas, I have always wanted to write, ever since I was three years old, so I always knew what I wanted to do. However, what I remember specifically from that question and answer session is that most everyone in the class answered that they wanted to be married and have children, and mostly in their twenties. It was only myself and a girl, Courtney Brooks ( who I might write about later), who said that we didn't ever think we would get married, and if we did(not to each other) it wouldn't be until we were in our forties and had established ourselves in a career. Both of us, as well, were iffy on the subject of having children. I still find that interesting and odd. I am very much about finding oneself and having a purpose in life- and have held to the idea, perhaps wrongly, that people should want more out of this life than to find a man or have children. I totally realize at this point that the idea of "career" is inherently capatilistic and not progressive, but I do believe that finding one's purpose in life is much more fundamental and natural than defining oneself in a career.I have since given up the idea that everyone should want this, and that for some people drifting (and indeed, perhaps for us all) is something to do,but still, for myself, I prefer the idea of the single, successful person who reaches their fullest potential and explores the extent of their possibilities.

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