Who Runs The World? Girls!

Feb 09, 2019 |Share this Article:

Who runs the world? Girls! Heck yeah we do. Really, where would society be without us, right? But don’t let this get to your head to much ladies.  Yes, we are great at pretty much everything, but we do have our flaws.  As do all, so no direct fault here. But I will say, women do have a pretty significant weight on their shoulders.  And men, read closely here if you want to understand your lady a little better.

We have so many expectations and responsibilities!  Look pretty, dress nice, cross your legs, educate yourself, clean the house, take care of your family, oh and look pretty, have children, run errands, did I mention looking pretty?  This is just the cusp of it all.  The world is quite literally on our shoulders.  If we aren’t doing it, we should be.  If something isn’t done, well it should have been done yesterday.  If there is a complaint, it’s typically against us.  It’s really a lot sometimes.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to get up on my woman empowerment soap box so don’t start covering your eyes yet.  I am simply trying to paint a picture of the pressure’s women tend to face on a daily.  The purpose of me painting this picture is to preface the faults that come from carrying around this weight that we were genetically born into.

Did you know that, even though men have had the reputation of being the majority of drunk drivers in the past, it is now women who are taking over that statistic.  Why is this change happening?  Arrests for drunk driving tend to come from people who have some kind of internal struggle or stress that is being repressed through the use of alcohol. I don’t blame them, sometimes life can be a lot. But the way a person handles it can really tell you just how much they are going through.

So, if women are taking the lead in DUI arrests, does this mean that there is yet another responsibility being placed on a woman’s shoulder that she is now having to take on?  Is there a stress being put on her that is causing this outbreak of needing to drink? And then, of course, she has to get behind the wheel because who else is going to be home to wake up the kids in the morning.

Marital stress, expectations brought on by society, don’t forget those kids that always bring “excitement”, job status, what have you, it’s all relevant and relatable.  And it happens every day to all of us (so I’m not excluding you, men).  Due to societies recent pressures on women, this explains why the increase in female DUI arrests has escalated.

So, what is the real root of the problem?  Depression, isolation, anxiety, mental health, lack of communal support – these can all be leading causes, and I don’t blame them.  No one can deal with even one of these without having that support in place.  Unfortunately, drinking can take place of that support. If you think about it, depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles can be misdiagnosed and/or undermedicated, and most times not detected or medicated at all.

So, let’s say that you are being faced with depression.  You are unaware that this is what you are struggling with, others don’t see you struggling, but there is definitely something off with you.  It’s a Friday, the kids are in bed, the husband is sitting watching some show or another, and you are in the kitchen pouring yourself a questionably large glass of wine.  It tastes good and it starts to take the “edge” off.  You begin feeling a little happy, maybe a little bubbly.  You go on your phone and start searching adorable dog pics and funny Pitch Perfect memes.  You don’t feel sluggish, you don’t feel sad.

But now it’s Saturday.  You wake up feeling like crap, head pounding.  And here you are feeling sad again; the memory of Fat Amy flying down a staircase and you laughing hysterically is only that, a memory.  It doesn’t feel like that was you at all.

Night time comes again, your wine glass filled to the brim, husband no where to be found, that memory of laughing is now, once again, a reality.  The same happens Sunday, then Monday, Tuesday, the cycle begins to take place.

This is how it happens – you don’t do these things intentionally.  Feeling good is addictive and whatever it is that is making you feel good, your going to keep reaching for it.  If you aren’t aware of this cycle then you will not be aware of when it becomes a real problem.  Sure, having those occasional drinks at home is great.  But now, in order to chase that high, those drinks are no longer being had at home.  You are now drinking at events, going out with friends, maybe even dropping into the bar down the street real fast to snag a quick glass before heading home to the mess and chaos.

In these scenarios there is driving involved.  And sure, it may seem like you haven’t had much to drink but remember that for every drink you have you should be waiting at least an hour to go anywhere.  So, if you get pulled over, is it anyone else’s fault but yours? Yes, you do have all of these stresses and expectations in your life, but that doesn’t excuse illegal behavior.

Yes, these things are happening to you.  No, you do not get a “get out of jail free card”.  You have to take ownership, and you will probably need to find that proper support in order to overcome what it is you are dealing with.  It’s OK!  We all need help at some point, most of us at many points, in our lives.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of, if anything it is showing just how much woman tend to hold in and hold onto.  It’s ok, ladies, we can let that ish go! We don’t need to conform to social expectations anymore.  We have the right to be upset, to make a scene, to break down and cry, so long as in the end a decision is made and the problem is resolved.

We need to ask for that help, seek out those who can support us, and get over the whole sit straight, sit pretty, and keep our mouths shut business.  Women empowerment is so much more than protesting on the street with our flags raising all kinds of heck.  It is supporting each other.  We need to form that community of love and acceptance for all to be a part of.  We got us!  As long as we have each other we can get through anything.

Because…. Who runs the world? GIRLS!