Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Are You for Sale?

After a series of conversations with different women in my life, I ask myself this question: Why is it that when times are hard women get easy? Time and time again I have seen many a strong woman crumble and resort to "selling" herself in order to survive. Case in point, a family member of mine has been unhappily married for a few years, even from a young age I knew the guy was an ass, but hey, people have to make and realize their own mistakes. While talking to her about her plans to remove herself from this unhappy union, she announced that she was "for sale." Now during the course of her marriage she went back to school and took some classes that allowed her to find a better paying job. While at this job, she has been offered the chance to advance upon obtaining her certification in her field. She found two courses that would prepare her for the exam and together they cost LESS THAN $200!!!! I use the caps because she doesn't pay any major bills in her house and her money is used for personal expenses like hair, nails, clothes, eating out, etc. I asked her when she was going to take the first class and she replied that she can't because she doesn't have the money!!! I calmly pointed out that she could have the money if she didn't go to the hair salon for two weeks. She laughed and told me, " Oh no, I must get my hair done. You know I'm high maintenance." She calls it high maintenance, I call it high ignorance. There is nothing wrong with looking good, but what's two weeks of doing your own hair and creating money for something that will give you more economic stability and mobility vs. having bomb ass hair and forever waiting on a man to grease your palm. Well, since she has her priorities in order, I asked her where she was going to get the money for the courses. She told me that she would "trick"for the money before she asked her family or her husband. She didn't care if she had to resort to that because she would be good at it. On the other end of the phone she laughed........while I hung my head in shame. So many women want to be "independent," so be independent when times are good or bad, don't sell yourself. I can proudly say I am not, nor have I ever been "for sale."