Bare Naked

by Raquel Franco

Men just don’t get it! At least I thought they didn’t. I find myself always having to defend and explain my femininity to them. The questions I answer the most are; why does it take you so long to get ready and why do you have to take your handbag with you everywhere you go? To us the answer is simple. To them the idea is ridiculous. Until a recent incident I had just accepted that men just don’t understand.

This weekend, before the fourth of July activities were about to commence, my boyfriend’s friend, Tom, became frantic at the loss of his wallet and cell phone. He instantly was stressed that he left his possessions behind. I on the other hand, at first, could not understand why, since he needed no money. He was already out with friends so a cell phone was not necessary. I was very surprised at his stress over the absence of these items. Men are usually so lax about things like this. After Tom proceeded to say he felt like he was dying without them, my boyfriend began to relate with him! He began saying how naked he felt without his wallet. I was appalled. As I listened to them complain to one another more about this vulnerable feeling I felt the need to butt in. I said to them, “See, that is what it feels like to leave your handbag behind.”

They totally ignored me and kept on about being exposed without their wallets.

My conclusion is that men totally understand what we feel; they just aren’t listening to what we are saying.