It is Done!

Today was a very big day for me, I have officially completed my Master's Degree.  All of my assignments have been graded and turned in, plus each of my classes if finally over.  I am very excited by done, but also sad at the same time.  I realized today I won't be seeing my fellow students again for a very long time, if ever.  They really got me through the difficult moments by commiserating with me about teachers and assignments.  It is wonderful that seemingly different people are able to come together and become bonded over a common experience.

My other thought is wow, I have just achieved a life long goal, what do I do now?  What I have really enjoyed about the program is that I have been working towards a specific goal that had a definite beginning and an end date.  I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to make it to the end and I could even see the end.  I wish all of my other goals could be as clear cut.  Such is life!

I am excited though because it means I can finally move on.  I am really looking forward to moving in the next few weeks and starting a whole new life close to my family.  (I couldn't have completed my program without them either.  My dearest Momita listened to many complaints and edited papers for me. )  I am just sitting here realizing, I really have accomplished something wonderful, and it feels amazing!

Thoughts on Feminism

This week I took a class on Educational Philosophy, and I have to say it was pretty interesting. As part of my class requirements I had to give an hour and a half presentation on 3 different philosophers. One of these was a woman by the name of Mary Wollstonecraft (her daughter is the author of Frankenstein). Learning about her brought up a subject I try to avoid, Feminism. I was actually very surprised as I read her thoughts. I have always thought of Feminists as man haters, but I found her views closely echo my own.

Mary Wollstonecraft points out she doesn't want women to emulate masculine virtues but wants women to be educated and be given more opportunities. I completely agree, women should be educated and be allowed to more than a mere fixture in society. I also agree that men and women have different roles to fulfill in the world. I don't think a woman should be the bread winner or the head of a household. I think women should embrace the role they have been given instead of trying to take on the role men have been appointed.

I recognize by writing this I may offend many of fellow sisters, but I am not sorry for feeling this way. I feel society has made the push to respect women and in turn have forgotten to respect men. What is so wrong with being a woman who is educated, intelligent, and wants to be just that, a woman?