Happy 2009 everyone! I guess that I kind of took a hiatus from writing in my blog last week, but now I'm back and ready to go again! For anyone wondering after my last post, my dad is still pretty much the same. He did finally get his MRI and learned that he has two herniated discs in his back, so I suppose he and my mom are trying to figure out how to move forward from here. I'll let you know if there are any updates, which hopefully there will be!
Yesterday I had an interesting experience that I've been dying to write about in my blog! However, it's been a bit of an eventful day so I haven't had the chance until now. My younger brother was moving up to Rexburg on Saturday because he starts school at BYU-Idaho this week. Since my dad is still out of commission, it was going to be up to my mom and perhaps my brother and sister-in-law to move him. He had requested that I come to offer moral support and lend my expertise since I am a BYU-I alumni myself. I was only too glad to do so, and I recruited a friend to come with me so I didn't have to drive 8 hours by myself. The trip was fine but it reinforced to me just how different men and women are. Here is a side-by-side comparison (yes it's exaggerated for dramatic effect) so you can see what I'm talking about.
1) When a girl goes to school she packs the entire contents of her room, a good portion of kitchen items and every single stock item she can think of--toilet paper, soap, towels, toothpaste, cleaning supplies and extras of all her favorite cosmetic items. She has enough stuff to fill the entire back of a mini-van.
With a boy, it's a limited selection of his favorite shirts from the closet, a couple pairs of pants, maybe a few items from around his room, any technological gadgets he has, one towel and set of sheets, a few kitchen items and food staples his mother is forcing him to take, a laundry basket and maybe a bar of soap. Practical items such as toilet paper, shower curtains or dish rags don't cross his mind. His stuff can be packed in the trunk and part of the backseat of a compact car.
2) When the girl arrives in her new room, she immediately starts infusing it with her personality. She's brought her entire picture collection, crafty wall hangings she made in Young Women's and anything else she could think of to make her room look "homey."
The boy brings his stuff into the room, looks for a reasonable place to unpack it and calls it good. (And when his sister happens to suggest he could have brought something like say, mission memorabilia, to decorate his walls, he laughs in her face, telling her she's "such a girl!" But really how can she help it?!)
3) A trip to the store for our female involves a shopping list, meal planning guide--complete with nutrition information--and mapped route around the store. She thinks in terms of supplies.
On the other hand, the boy walks around the store purchasing the bare minimum he can to stay alive that can be prepared in 10 minutes or less. He walks somewhat aimlessly through the store, picking up a few items here or there. A wiser mentor with him who has been living on his own for years now (so he knows what single male living is like) gives pointers as they walk along. When the sister suggests buying staple items like meat for her younger brother, he says no because "that would be a commitment to cook something" and her brother doesn't want that.
4) After returning to the apartment, groceries in hand, the girl wants to take a detailed tour of campus, perhaps searching out where all of her classes are, pick up her books (even though it's four days before the semester starts) and print out a detailed schedule.
The boy shakes his head at the offer of a campus tour or going to get his books so he doesn't have to lug them across campus to his apartment, since he's without a car. He assures his sister that "he'll figure things out" as far as which buildings his classes are in. Oh well if he has to haul his books across campus. He's a man so he can handle it.
5) When it's time for good-bye, the girl hugs her parents, perhaps clings to them a bit and sheds a few tears as they pull away.
The boy hugs his sister and says, "See ya later!" as he settles down on the couch to watch football. No tears there. This could be partially because he's already spent two years in a foreign country on his mission, though. Being only two hours from mom and dad is nothing to him and perhaps equals a bit more freedom. . .
3 comments:
That is too funny. Although I didn't take my brother to school, I have visited his "bachelor pad," and it works much the same way, even though my brother is in the military, four years older and has a house. Do boys ever grow up?
You're awesome -- it's so true. My parents have moved my brother down to several different apartments and they say its sooo different. They always had to help me because I had so much stuff -- but they don't even go with him anymore because he doesn't want them and he doesn't have enough stuff!
Of course boys never grow up. What a silly question. Boys never evolve--their toys do.
I thought everyone knew that!
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