Some of the vendors represented different "areas" that the majority of women focus on or deal with in their day-to-day activities: fashion, hair and makeup, health, finance, literature, and relationships. I have attended this Expo for years and I never did take notice of something that sparked this blog; vendors that would fall under the category of "hair & makeup" and/or "fashion" were overwhelmingly crowded while the vendors dealing with personal finance and health probably did not see a visitor the whole day. It was like they were invisible!!!
Then I started thinking, which could be dangerous, as a society, even as a culture, do we care that much about how we look? Growing up I used to hear all types of stereotypes about Black people and one that particularly sticks out is how a "Black person will always look good despite not having a single cent in their bank account." Is this true? If I were to use "For Sisters Only" as a testing area for this stereotype, there would not be much argument to dispute this steroetype.
Even more compelling is the fact that these same women, who spend the majority of their time and money on how they look, are the same women who want a man to do more than just play PS3 and concentrate more on the family structure. You want men to do more, care more but as a woman, what are you doing to advance yourself and grow? What are you doing to motivate your male counterpart to do what you want him to do, what he needs to do? If you, the woman, are taking the initiative to care more about your personal finance and health, well then why should the man?
YOU HAVE TO BECOME THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!!!!
This maybe a man's world but WOMEN run it. Men know that (we will never admit to it) and as soon as EVERY woman realizes it, you will see the changes you demand but you CANNOT ask to change when you refuse to change yourself.
I am not asking for any woman to ever stop caring about how she looks, do not ever stop caring!! But what I am asking for is balance and compromise. If you, my lady, not put so much money into that weave every month, I will cut back on the PS3 and the money that we save, we can put into an account for whatever we want it to be.
I have recently discovered the joys of a pedicure, CLAWD HAVE MERCY, and now I will keep going but why not go with the one you love. Ladies, you complain about your man's crusty feet, FIX THEM!! Take him with you when you go get your mani/pedi so he can see why they are important; he can get a pedi and you are now spending time with each other.
As a family, go see the doctor and ladies, drag that man of yours with you. Most men do not like going to see the doctor because "WE ARE MEN" and we are wired and taught to "tough" it out. Well, I do not know a man who has yet "toughed" out prostate cancer or any other cancer for that matter!!
We are a product of how we spend our money and where we spend it. Our environments, our communities are built and dictated by how we spend our money. Ever notice why there are so many shoe stores and weave shops in "our" neighborhoods? The same reason why CitiBank is not!!! One is profitable and one is not. Money talks...
