So, I was talking to one of my male friends very late one night. He was drunk, and possibly a big high, when we got onto this topic. I don't remember how it came up, and I don't know what we had been actually discussing when it did come up. Anyways, he said, "Women are fragile. They need bubble wrap." He was insinuating that men were the "bubble wrap" to women to help protect them from this world. I thought a long time about this, and I can really see if from a few different views. I think that it was kind of important to touch on.
At first, I thought my friend, we'll call him Jacob for the case of this blog, was just being a masochistic pig. Then I really started to think about what he said. There are still women out there that are waiting for Mr. Right to come and sweep them up from the ground, save them (like the damsel in distress), and want him to be the protector. Maybe it is our primal needs in some aspect because we realize that we are slightly "fragile" (another of his words when we were on this topic). I do not think that women see themselves as fragile, but I think they like the idea that their significant other would protect them if for some reason they were not able to care for themselves.
What about women who don't like men? Do lesbians want that same trait in their female counterparts? Do those women still search for the protection and "bubble wrap" from their partner? It raises questions that I, by no means, know the answer nor can predict the answers to. I don't know how those women feel and want, but I can imagine that it is much like any other person that it is specific to who they are.
Also, there are very self-dependent and very independent women. They are strong as they are. I am also not in this group, but these women are generally strong and full of their own will. They are used to doing everything by themselves for themselves. Would they want a protective bubble wrap to suddenly enclose on them and become over bearing and suffocating? I don't think so. I think that they would feel like they needed to protect themselves because not only would they have a hard time to let someone else protect them, but they would find themselves strong enough to do it on their own. Once again, I don't know, but these are my thoughts.
And what about women who are like me? Those that let the primal instinct out, and they want to feel the comfort of the protection from their counter part? Are those women "silly," "foolish," and taking the feminism movement back five steps from where it has gotten? I like to think not. I like to think that liking and feeling comfort from that trait in your significant other is a good thing. It is part of what make a pair a couple. You play against the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and the other person to make each other stronger. I don't think that looking for that trait hurts the feminism movement because it isn't wishing I had less rights, it is just hoping that I can find someone who I am comfortable enough to be around.
All-in-all, I don't think that every woman wants the "bubble wrap," but I do think that it is something that every man should see if his counter part is looking for it, and if he has that trait. I also think that every woman should know and feel around to see if she feels like she needs that extra protection in the world, or if she doesn't want it at all. Could a person who has it and a person who doesn't want it work out? Maybe, but I am no relationship expert to know. I guess it is just something that I really needed to look at and into myself to find my own answers about, and I think that others should think about it as well.
