What Is Modern Day Feminism?
A new wave of feminism is coming
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A few months ago, I moved into a new apartment and decided to take it as an opportunity to buy new furniture. The biggest item on my list was a new dresser. I scanned the internet for the perfect one, studying the dimensions carefully to make sure it would fit. But it never occurred to me to pay attention to the dresser’s weight. That was until I saw the 100-pound box sitting in my building lobby.
While I’m reluctant to admit this, it’s probably important to mention that I am a rather weak individual (as was confirmed during the moving process). A core part of my exercise routine, if you could even call it that, is carrying home my overloaded grocery bags from Trader Joe’s. But in spite of this, I managed to push the four-by-two-foot box down the hallway of my lobby and over to the foot of the stairs. As I slid the box up one step, then another, I thought for a second that I might actually be able to do it. And then the box (and me) slid back down to the floor.
I called my friend Hannah for help, who is just about the same height as me at a little more than 5 feet tall but surprisingly strong and claims she can tackle anyone to the ground. (This claim has something to do with her knowing krav maga and playing quidditch in college, I think.)
…there may always be things that I can’t do on my own. Or without the help of a man.
“We are independent women, we can do this,” Hannah yelled from one end of the box. “Yeah, feminism!” we shouted together, as though that would help us to summon the strength of Susan B. Anthony. But despite our best efforts, the 100-pound box continued to beat us both.
Midway through our struggle, one of my neighbors arrived home. With Hannah at the top of the stairs trying to pull the box up and me at the bottom trying to keep it from falling, we were undoubtedly blocking the path to his apartment. You can probably see where this is going now. But to be clear, we did not ask for his help. He volunteered. It may have been purely out of social obligation (or the fact that we were in his way). But regardless of the reason, it was quite frankly a blessing that he arrived when he did, even if it meant we had to thank him…
