clothes make the wo/man

I briefly felt this morning what it must be like to be a man. I needed to get the recycling out, so I slipped on a basic skirt and blouse. I also filled the birdfeeders. As I was walking around I realized, I'm decent enough to go teach. My face is clean, my hair is pulled back, and my clothes are appropriate. I wasn't wearing makeup or a bra and my hair wasn't combed, but it would've been enough. Then I thought about my male colleagues and realized that for many of them, every day was like this. Shaving is clearly optional for them. They're occasionally ragged. They could be out the door in minutes. Of course, I could do that too. But it would mean bucking the system, whereas sloppiness for them is part of the system.

I'm not trying to make a political statement about this. I just felt free. It was pleasant. It made me aware that most of my morning preparations are my choice.