Of Pains and Responsibilities…

Since I set my eyes on this picture one or more year(s) ago, it struck a chord within me. No, it didn’t make me 'pity' the male gender. The picture opened my thoughts to how very different males and females think. How intriguing that difference can be even though it can be sometimes annoying.

You remember I said I like the male perspective? (If you don’t remember or don’t know, go here to find out 👉🏾 https://medium.com/@wumibash/to-the-boy-child-of-before-and-now-2a40fc28ea77). This picture is definitely one of the things that contributed to that likeness. It left me in awe of that other gender. I admire their strength and ability to put aside their wellbeing and cater for the needs of others.

The male gender is so underrated in their ability to shoulder pain, to shoulder responsibility. Almost everybody talks about how strong the woman is when she’s going through or has survived a rough patch. They praise and encourage her because she’s naturally delicate and holding her head high through or after a tough time definitely defines her strength. However the male gender is rarely praised as such. It is 'expected' of the man so he is not seen as doing anything ‘special’. But then even the person checking up on everybody needs checking up on too. The person doing what’s 'expected’ of him should be appreciated too.

This is not seeking to put males on a pedestal but Yorùbá’s say "Àjànàkú kọjáa mo rí ǹkan fìrí. Táa bá rérin, ká sọ pé a rérin" which roughly translates to acknowledging a good/great thing instead of dismissing it. So, this is just me admitting that "mo rí erin" in the other gender.