Wednesday, December 7, 2011

personal experience


Through the year’s woman have been perceived as obsolete. Things have changed now, such so that women have the opportunity to do all the things that men can do. However, from my experience I think that old perspective still dwells in some aspects of our society today. The abilities of women to perform activities mainly dominated by males are still being underestimated. For example, when I joined martial arts, many of the students, mainly men did not take me serious because I seemed fragile and a little too naïve to participate in a sport that required “strength”. Many times I would hear them whisper that “I would not last long”, and that class “was not being challenged because of my inability to compete at the same level” or at least that is what they thought. Those comments lingered inside me and made me eager to prove to myself that I was capable of performing equally. Therefore, the next time I came to class, I was doing pushups even though I struggled, but as time progressed, I not only  got better I was able to train at the same paste with them. I was constantly humiliated during our weekly routine of fighting, because I was always put to fight younger and smaller boys then I; which made me feel disappointed because I worked so hard and yet I was being underestimated. This angered me to the point that I finally found courage to pull my instructor aside and tell him that I felt excluded, and that I deserved a chance to fight someone at my same rank, regardless of their physical strength. I was granted my request and although I was not victorious. I was very satisfied that I was given the chance to prove to myself and others that my hard work was not in vain. Most importantly that physical strength is overridden by mental strength because it is with hard work, determination and perseverings that one reaches our most desired goals. Therefore woman are open to limitless opportunities.

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