Personal Narrative: The Strength Of Women

In today’s society, Hinshaw pointed out that girls are expected to be good at the typical male things. Because of this, girls are more focused on their career and education rather than starting a family. “In today’s competitive environment, girl skills are not enough” (Hinshaw 826). On top of female skills, girls must also be more assertive like guys, excel in school to get into a good college, and be a good athlete. The narrator in “The Story of My Body” displayed the struggle to meet these expectations even though that involved doing things she didn’t want to do. She was a smart girl who was not interested in sports, yet wanted to be picked for teams in her gym class: “I wanted to be wanted. I wanted to be chosen for the teams” (Cofer 80). It wasn’t until later in her life that she finally focused on the things she truly wanted and was good at.

During the week of John Marshall's Spring Break, my friend Maddie and I walked around normal places with high heels. Both of us being quite tall girls without them, I believed that two borderline six foot girls walking around places like Walmart and the public library would illicit some sort of a response, although regrettably not as big as some other things one could do. After expressing these thoughts to her, she responded with, "If people don't look at you because you're tall, they'll look at you because you're falling." So, on a Wednesday afternoon we both semi dressed up, neither of our outfits were anything out of the ordinary except for the much taller than normal shoes we both wore, and headed out. Our first stop was the bank, as Maddie

Any individual above average size horizontally in Elementary school, knew how it felt to be the obese child growing up. My problem was, I spent practically every day at my grandma’s house, and my size was the evidence. When I was a kid, I'd wish I could be ripped like those men on Hollister bags and stand at least 6’2 with a strong jawline to impress my crushes at school. I’d wish I had a supreme athletic physique with broad shoulders. Regardless of gender, anyone would gaze in envy. However that never came to be my reality. Judging by my intentions,that's most likely a beneficial result; I would have utilized my image to justify arrogance.

But, over the years, I have realized there is a lot more to growing up than reaching those fifty-four inches. For me, this light bulb moment came while conducting interviews the summer after my junior year. I was looking to fill more mentor positions in the SHINE For Girls program, a non-profit organization I launched eighteen months earlier in the Washington DC area. The selected candidates would meet weekly

It has always been apparent that Dalton, my friend of five years, is towering in height; however nothing brings this to attention more then walking with him. Normally when Dalton and I hangout his height is not so notable, this is because of how he sits. All 6'5 of his height is compressed as his willowy frame hunches and folds itself into his couch. This was not a lazy day though, and our height difference is on full display as we walked the streets of Cocoa Village together. This stroll was meant simply as a leisurely one but has quickly become brisk as I try to keep up with Dalton. Every stride of his pale lengthy legs is two or three steps for my stout limbs. I am not the only one to notice this however, as my straw haired friend stops

Perceiving myself as a 5 footer resulted from my disappointing comparisons with other students, my opponents for a spot in a college I desire. My classmates were qualified to volunteer at animal shelters,

People consider my shape, plus size. We’re the popular thick chick’s men secretly romanticize about in those intimate moments with their wives. I learned confidence. I’m French born mix blood, mulatre, career driven with an enormous appetite, my Father’s a Duke, I’ve never meant. Mom’s an American Ambassador. He complicated our life ordering her to go back home to Philadelphia. Those Americans are odd people. The kids teased and embarrassed me about my childhood chunkiness. I developed uncommon emotional rage, arrogant behavior and bad habits to cover up the sadness. Mom lost her political tides because of the Duke. We’re traveled and I attended private schools on him. But we lived in a dilapidated house in Center City on East Vine Street.

The vertically challenged can be mentally damaged by those taller, those who are the chastiser don’t realize standing higher makes them none the wiser. Being shorter than the average height can make one smite to the tall one’s delight, though without extreme prowess they will end up powerless against David’s Goliath. With all that was said about my height by those whom took delight in delivery of words that caused my misery. I finally realized how to suppress the stress. I chose to view those who mock, as just trying to block my happiness. This realization was met with consternation, but in the end I did win by taking it on the chin!

My peers get taller and taller while I feel like I get shorter and shorter. It’s just my physical traits. I wish I could say I’m muscular and strong but I’m not going to lie. I’m little and scrawny. Luckily I don’t have braces yet so I guess my teeth are straight. I would love to go on but I don’t have a lot to say physically speaking.

After resigning from Women’s Ministry I found that I am emotionally exhausted. I shouldn’t have stepped into that position and I was not the right person for that position and I have been told that from others in the church . I thought I did a good job but not good enough, I am wounded by others.

Growing up, I struggled with my height. It made me depressed, upset, and ashamed. One of the things I was most passionate about was baseball. As a baseball player, my height was one of the biggest factors that stopped me from being the player I could’ve become. I was never able to exert the power that the big players were able to due to the constitution of my body. At showcases, scouts would often take more interest in the taller players even if I showed more talent. In school, I was shorter than most boys, even girls, which added to my insecurities. When the teacher asked the class to line up from tallest to shortest, I always walked miserably to the back of the line hoping I was not the last person. To me, this was a typical. Being shorter

In society today, being a tall girl is bittersweet and something constantly drowned in stereotypes. If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard someone comment on my height, I’d be rich. Regularly, I’m asked whether I play volleyball or basketball, along with hearing the classic “you’re tall enough to be a model” comment. Over the years, being tall has both increased my confidence and torn it down. At times it signified respect, being “grown up”, and a sense of security while other times it only brought on overwhelming feelings of clumsiness, not feeling as feminine and always being seen as “different.” Despite my family’s best intentions and the supportive friends that surrounded me, I still struggled with insecurity over my height. However, I’m learning something. Something that is transforming my mindset and, as a result, altering the

Although, athletes are the role models the boys grow up playing sports but when they do not perform in an excellent or right way they are chided as girls in a away to help them perform better. The language that is in the media attributes and reinforces the dominant discourse that males are stronger than females. (Public research group, 2010). In addition, men are expected to have healthy strong bodies and simultaneously on the other hand isolate and seclude themselves from females as to not care how they look. Men that are obese are subjected through oppression as a result of the factor that they do not fit in the masculine stereotype of a muscle built body. Furthermore, young boys are taught this early and consequently reproduce this discourse to discriminate others in school that do not fit in to Western culture's ideology of masculinity. This discrimination of the obese instills a fear on the youth that to be fat is not ideal and is therefore seen in revulsion and hatred. Nevertheless, the discourse implies that genetics do not play a role and that every male can get this perfect body of masculinity in a sense. Therefore, a man would need to endure the journey for how ever long it takes to achieve this. In contrary, this is not the truth a man may go the gym everyday for a number of years and never achieve this form of masculinity because for their body type and genetics is impossible. Moreover, the stereotypes against overweight men at a first glance

My height has always been one of my biggest insecurities. I will always struggle getting through the school hallway as towering five foot eleven guys loiter by my locker, while my five foot seven friends seemingly run in the halls. Yet my biggest

I’m quite tall for my age. 5”7 to be exact. I am tall enough to experience the “Do you play basketball?”, “How tall are you??”, “Have you grown?”, and “Seriously, someone put a brick on her head to make her stop growing!” These things have never really bothered me, until one fateful day a girl came up to me and exclaimed, “You’re never allowed to wear heels!! Because then you will tower over everyone.” And that statement made an impact, much bigger than all of the other statements that I have received in my life. Why, do you ask? It’s because this little girl tried to tell that I was not beautiful