Feminist Quote

Exciting Zigzag Bracelet on Etsy

Several years ago I found myself browsing in a museum gift shop. I was looking at the rack of tiny quote books because I'm naturally drawn to books, and I picked one of them up to look through.

The one I happened to pick up was a book of feminist or women's quotes, which is really strange because while I reap the benefits of the feminist movement (pants!) I generally find feminist ideals and philosophy to be little more than an irritant in "period" fantasy books--which is probably a rant and a half on its own.

But back to the story.  I opened the book of feminist quotes to one specific quote that has stuck with me for years. I don't recall the exact wording (or who said it) but it ran something like this: "no single woman has ever met a man, no matter how old or how young, without thinking, even for the briefest of moments 'could this be the one?' "

Ever since that long-ago day I've been left with two very important questions:
1) How the HELL is this a feminist quote?
2) Do I really ask myself if every male I meet is 'the one'?

Question one is just an idle mental exercise that calls into question the whole feminist movement and how we view it, and whether it made a damn difference.

Question two, however, very nearly ruined my life.  Because I was offended to think that someone thought that I thought that every man (or boy) I met could be 'the one' I was reduced to analyzing my own thoughts and actions.  Which meant that where I did not, in fact, think every man I met could be The One beforehand, I now found myself asking that very question--and then trying to figure out if the question was because I truly wondered if this particular asshole was the one or if I was only wondering that because this goddamn quote had said I should be wondering.

This continued for years. Until one day when I suddenly realized that I'd met some guys recently about whom I had not asked that question, and had then forgotten to ask myself if I'd asked myself if he was the one, which meant that--thankfully--the entire generalization was false and I could have my brain, thoughts and self-worth back.

I think, in the future, I shall stick to nature-loving hippy quote books.