From an early age I think it’s fair to say that girls were made to think their qualities and skills as a person were always deemed inferior compared to those of boys. In addition to this physical weakness, came an added pressure to look fitted to the societally normalized femininity. This whole concept that because you identify as a girl, automatically infers that you have adhered to all these qualities, is beyond disgusting to me. Even now at this age, completely liberal in my thoughts and passionate for females to express themselves in every way, I can’t help but to feel a subconscious voice inside of me still restricting my actions and appearance. I have always been on the hairier side, and as mentioned in an earlier post, am quite tall (yeah I know what you’re thinking big whoop, doesn’t matter). But although seemingly minuscule in the grand scale of things, these personal inhibitions have had a serious effect on my lifestyle. When around others I am constantly thinking about what height is acceptable, and when I can go out in public with hair. As socially “unappealing” physical features, they have always always bothered me, when in males they are idealized and go without say. Just having these two qualities does not represent the extent of barriers existing in the day to day life of women. We are made to feel like certain colors solely belong in our backgrounds, that the phrase “like a girl” is responsive to an unsubscribed weakness, and that the way we look is justifiably judged by the conforming culture of our world. I can’t even begin to tell how many times young boys have harassed one another, to the severity of physically bullying, when one is depicting any promise of feminine characteristics. This strict acceptance of our society in that this phrase is just allowed to continuously mock the strength of females, and be used to insult their qualities, needs serious renovation. I can’t wait for an era to follow that truly respects women as who they are, rather how they look. I don’t want “like a girl” to immediately be followed with submissive approval of the phrase in equalling the synonyms for weak and passive. It should be equivalent to only the utmost symbol of strength and ability; a known attribution for power. And that power lies amongst everyone, and doesn’t need to always be reminded as an exclusive trait that classifies different genders’ capabilities. Every person should have the ability to live according to their own model, not one that has been passed down by generations of conformity. I should see my younger male cousins comfortable wearing pink, or admiring floral, and having any desires in wearing makeup. They should be encouraged to perform better in sports without the phrase “like a girl” dangling as a demeaning assessment of their skills. It is our duty to resist the implication of characteristics on sole basis of gender, as in race, sexuality, and other classifications. Why self impose such restrictions when life is so deserving to be experienced with unique courses that are taken? I for one think doing anything “like a girl” is amazing,  and as a girl it means only to keep breaking barriers and surpassing  expectations. And while such comparisons may seem to render mutual understandings, they are inherently insulting to what each female is as a person. When did doing something “like a girl” become known for something half-hearted, and mockable? Women are powerful leaders, and if society is going to continue this phrase it should damn well know that the comparison being made is one of only infinite strength.