Friday, September 28, 2007

Women And Happiness

I was at a dinner party earlier this week just talking and relating on different experiences. A bunch of young professionals talking about politics and family and careers and of course relationships. Now I must say that I’m used to these sorta talks, especially when women are around. Although, quiet as it’s kept men discuss it too. For different reasons and in hopes of finding a solution but still we discuss it. I’m not sure how the discussion started because I got up to wash my hands and when I came back it was already in full conversation mode. One guy and one girl were discussing the choice mother phenomenon (which is when a woman stores her eggs for the future and then uses them when she is established in her career. The choice is that she purposely doesn’t have a husband. She hits up the sperm bank. Yeah!) which I knew a little about from a NY Times article that came out last summer. The woman’s point was that for her it was the best option since she hadn’t had any luck with finding in her estimation a suitable man. She is 33 and has her own place and a good career as trial lawyer in Brooklyn’s Appellate Court. She was tired of dating cheaters and dudes who didn’t work. The dude at the table barked back that this is a stereotype that is tired. I was eating guacamole and chips but I was listening as other people chimed in. Then when I was ready I dropped this masterpiece. I said, “ women don’t know what the hell they want. They don’t know how to be happy.”

Now I love women. I love Black women especially (not to offend anyone but I love my own kind and I don’t see anything wrong with saying that), but women these days are out of their minds. I made reference to a report that came out earlier this month
by a group of researchers at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. They found that the average woman is much more unhappy then say her mother was. Here is a quote.

"We find that women have become less happy or less satisfied with their lives over time and less happy relative to men," said Betsey Stevenson, an economist at the Wharton School. "Surprising, perhaps, given the increased opportunities and choices for women in the modern world."
The study found that women feel they have too many choices and too many responsibilities, which adds to their feelings of sadness. Women are now often stretched and stressed between the workplace and home. "Women end up with a lot more responsibility and men play a lot more than women do," one subject said.

The report didn’t factor in age or race and I’m speaking of mainly African-American women in their late 20 and early 30’s. But I still see it. Women always seem so dissatisfied with everything. Especially men. Labeling us as dogs or players or liars or underachievers or whatever. You can even see it on TV. All the new shows and movies have women on top of their game and they have to settle for some loser dude. Like in the movie “Knocked Up” where all the females in the movie walk around like their sh*t don’t stink and act like they’re doing the men a favor by being with them. But what I’ve found since I’ve returned to the dating market are a bunch of selfish, negative minded people.

Its like today’s women are never satisfied. I’m all about aspiring for the best but you gotta be the best yourself too. Just being sexy isn’t enough. And just making 100 Grand isn’t enough. You have to have a good personality and be someone we would want to raise our children. Just be okay sometimes and stop with the crazy expectations. For instance I went out with a girl last month and when she got to the restaurant (late at that!) she brought along her friend from college. I was like that’s cool, it no big deal. Now if I ask a girl out I always pay so when the check came I paid for her but not her friend. Do you know that the girl was bothered by this? Saying it was rude and inferring that I was somehow in the wrong. Her friend was shaking her head like she was appalled. Now, mind you this other girl wasn’t even supposed to be there. And the girl I did ask out is not my girlfriend. We had only met a few weeks prior. Lets just say that I don’t associate with her anymore. And throughout the summer i've met a lot of women who are just boring or corny. All they want to talk about is their careers or something superficial. Yet we are the ones with problems.
They just complain about the last person they were with. How he didn’t do this and that or whatever. Yeah there are a lot of idiot dudes out but i'm sick of women not taking any responsibility for their actions. They’re too promiscuous and then they complain when men objectify them. Or they spend all their time on their looks and wonder why I get bored with their minds. Or the most popular, “im a lawyer/doctor/executive and I’m doing this and that and I can’t find a dude on my level” type of chick. Those are everywhere in NYC. Women forget or maybe don’t know but us men we have a lot of things to deal with too. Yeah some of us are scum and some of us got kids we don’t support and criminal records and some of us just don’t really care about the women we date and their feelings and some of us are corporate sell outs and some of us are corny and boring. Some.

Many of us are good dudes. The truth of the matter is I’ve always been a good dater (I just have good taste in food and clothes and i'm funny and that other stuff that women like. I don’t think they really understand me though) and women are interested but get confused when I back off. And I sometimes tell them, being pretty and getting your hair done and having a great career is just part of the equation. We also want women who are fun and humble and intelligent but most of all positive. Who believe in the goodness of the men they’re dealing and not the negative stuff all the time. We’re not all assholes.

So going back to the dinner party the women who was tired of dating losers asked me since I knew so much why was I single? My reply, “ I’m waiting on the person who treats me like a friend and a lover instead of as an asset. I have faith.” Her reply to me?
“ I don’t care about faith, I want to be happy.”
Wow. Don’t you need one to have the other?

-Khalid

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good post! But who the hell are you dating? Lol. Yes, it is rough out here. I can't speak for ALL WOMEN, but I know that I know what I want. Often times men want you to be something they think you are or they think they want you to be,. Difficulties always arise when people aren't real and put up a front as to who they actually are. It also occurs when they try to change other people. I'm not even going to touch the non-communicative relationships. That's an entire post right there.

My philosphy is true to MJB's song "Just take me as I am or have nothing at all!" I believe they sang something like that in RENT too, but I digress. Until one is really comfortable within their own skin and love themselves, they will continue to put off their wants/wishes/desires onto other people and then become upset when that person doesn't fulfill them. So of course we have a lot of unhappy men AND women out there who probably don't know what they want OR are setting their expectation bar too high and are expecting others to make them happy rather than being happy with themselves first.

Khalid Salaam said...

lol. i'm just dating what i considered to be normal women. But what i've found are crazy expectations and shady people. And these aren't hood chicks or the average undesirables. these are educated and classy women. but many of the one's i've come across (mainly just friends of friends) all seem to be either boring, selfish or loose and especially unsupportive. They just want you to marry them without working on their issues 1st. i'm trying to not let it affect me, thats where faith comes in. although truth be told lately i've felt like giving up too.

Khalid Salaam said...

Wait, Ms. Collective, what IS it that you want? the people want to kmow lol...

Anonymous said...

What do you mean what is is that I want? I don't think I want anything different than most people. At the end of the day, people are people and crazies are crazies. It doesn't matter if you are a male or female, we all have our troubles, issues and mishaps with those of the opposite sex.

I want someone who will support, love, cherish, respect me and let me be me without changing. There is more, but this isn't the time nor place to get into it. I'm interested to hear what other's have to say about your post.