Feminism and Ageism: Gone wrong

In my defense....

I’ve pulled back from blogging recently. Not just because I’ve been flat-out with work and uni, but because I copped a bit of flak from my recent blog about women, and I took it a bit personally.

I do have a tendency to be a bit sensitive. So I probably shouldn’t be blogging…I know. But I want to have a crack at writing, and blogging helps me practice. I openly say I’m practicing because I know I don’t know everything, and my intention has always been to share a constructive dialogue so my peers and I can learn and grow together.

After a barrage of criticism ,I reatreated back into my cave, and declared that I’m best not expressing any opinions publicly, because, according to many strangers in cyber-space – I’m an idiot. A young, ill-informed, idiot.

According to my critics, I’m an idiot because I am ‘young’; which is a bullshit argument with a moving target. There are advanced young people and unevolved seniors, so, sorry – not a good enough argument in my (young, idiotic) opinion.

So, for those of you who didn’t get the memo, as I didn’t, just getting you all up to speed that whence reading opinion blogs, one must be guided by this simple equation:

young = wrong

In the blog that I copped all this criticism, including a Twitter stalk from some condescending stranger, I discussed observations that women tend to complain about a glass ceiling that in some organisations, doesn’t actually exist. All they have to do is ask; amp up their negotiating skills, and they probably will get what they want.

I also observed that this is a confusing time for men because the lines are being blurred.

There are still atrocities and injustices against women happening everyday all over the world. I'm not ignoring or undermining that. That is what should be fought – Not the petty unjustified man-hating that goes on amongst many western womens' circles. But alas, I was told I am ‘young’ and therefore I am wrong.

The other disappointing irony for me is, I work in aged care and I am a passionate supporter and advocate of our elders. I aspire to wisdom that the older people in our society possess, and I take respect and care for them very seriously. I sit with residents in our facilities often, and get so much enjoyment from talking with them, and learning from them.

Not a single person over the age of seventy has ever called me an idiot (It seems one must be aged forty - sixty to be considered wise and worldy enough to determine who is young and stupid). In fact, many of them have enjoyed the conversation with me as much as I have with them, and mutual enlightenment is shared.

So, should I take it personally that people are jumping down my throat? No, I don’t believe so. For two reasons:

1) I am validated by the fact that the majority of my friends, colleagues, clients and associates are older than me, and I am regularly complimented by my intelligence and insight by people several decades my senior;

2) The blogosphere it rife with idiots, so why shouldn’t I join the fun?

So, what is ‘young’? I know some nineteen year olds that would freak out at the idea of being thirty. But I was told recently that I have twenty-two years of learning to go before I know how things really work. So everyone’s an idiot until Fifty-two. Are you listening Mark Zuckerberg? Malala Yousafzai ? Gaga? Yeah, pull your heads in. Someone on Twitter said so. And no, no-one has heard of them.


Idiot out.