Let's play with Gender for a moment...

"But I just wanted to learn your secrets!"
Oh Emmeline, we know, we know...

Have any of you in this big wide world ever wondered what would happen if one day you just happen to wake up, go to the washroom, take off your pants and think "huh, that wasn't there yesterday..." (Or perhaps you lack something... I don't know.)? What I speak about of course is the eternal mystery of what is like to be of the opposite gender. Now I know that there are many people out there that feel they've been placed in the wrong body, and some have somehow gotten a bit of both worlds, but I have never had either of these situations happen to me. I don't look in the mirror and question if the sex I am physically is what I really feel like. I've always known I was a girl, no other thought told me other wise and it's not like my build can persuade me either. I've accepted the figure my body has adopted and it is quite womanly. There are curves where there should be people! I dropped the body hiding sweatershirts and the crocs for more feminine clothing, fitting neatly into the cute little gender role that society has placed. And normally, I am fine with this. I don't mind. I am a girl and I accept that. But somedays I can't help but let my mind wander to the "what if..."



I might even make a band! Like these guys!


The 'what ifs' are normally of the superficial variety; would I be tall? Could I pull off really awesome gentleman swagger? Could I wear ties everyday?!? I pass by many a men's shop and while my heart doesn't pitter patter for the jerseys, hoodies and low baggy jeans, there is a special place in my hearts for suits, bow ties and button up shirts. (And that's just the top half!) I think if I were a boy persay, I would be a pretty cute one. I would treat girls right, know how they think and automatically earn their trust and devotion. With boys I would hopefully be able to fit in aswell, being able to finally understand to a more minute detail of these humans as well! And everyone would be happy and understanding because there would at least be one person who actaully gets the majority of it.

Ooh, I feel a tangent coming. Perhaps this whole spiel of switching genders isn't about wanting to be the other gender at all. Maybe it happens to be all about understandng. While equality in genders (I'm not sure if I can be called a feminist, so let's go with this.) has made huge strides in Canada and the US and other countries around the world, we can't deny globally we do have an issue. (How ever we can accept that a gril in South Africa is more likely to be raped than finish a high school education I will never know.) Is the problem rooted in religions, in old, senile cultures, in traditionalist views and roles that just no longer seem to make any sense?

Whatever the case may be, and I may being extrememely idealistic here, I believe it has a lot to do with just a lack of understanding. How likely is a person to hit another one if they happen to be on the receiving end? Perhaps this whole world lacks primitive understanding, all of us lost in our own minds of 'me' that we forget the others around us. Here's the thing: no one thinks exactly like you. Different experiences have shaped us into who we are, and most of the time we just don't get that. Maybe in the future, we will develop technologies that will enable us to change our genders at will, allowing us to delve into both realms and to get first hand experiences of how the other feels. It wouldn't be as permanent as, say, a surgery, but it would give us insight. It would show people the weakness and strengths of both genders. It would help us point out the numerous similarities we have and then celebrate our differences! I hope with this, sexism would lose its "lustre" and equality would just come naturally.

Because without understanding, how exactly can we acheive total tolerance?