Tomboy
“I don’t know why you’re a girl, you should’ve been born a boy.” Thanks, Mom.
All my life, I’ve never really been considered a “girly-girl.” I’ve been a sports fanatic since the day I was born. When I was little, I was the one who wanted to go outside and help my father build something or throw the football around rather than my brother, who would prefer watching TV instead. I could live in basketball or athletic shorts and “bro-tanks.” I’ve never had a passion for shopping, nor do I care about the latest fashions. I don’t cake my face with makeup and love going days without it. And if I had the choice between spending the day shopping or sitting on the couch watching basketball, you’d better believe I’d choose basketball. I’m basically what my father calls “the son he never had.”
Of course, with my love of sports and adventure comes years of playful teasing and questions from society. I would always be the one sitting in a room full of guys watching the big game, while the rest of the girls would lock themselves in another room and gossip. This would not always sit too well with the boys, who would tell me that I should be in the kitchen instead, or at least off gossiping with the other girls. I have also been playing basketball since I was six, and for some reason, people are always shocked to hear about “a girl who can ball.” This was the most evident recently at a friend’s birthday party. A group of us were hanging out in her backyard, near a basketball hoop, when one of the guys asked if anyone wanted to play a friendly game of one-on-one. I of course, volunteered to play. He laughed. “Oh, no, not you, you’re a girl. That wouldn't be fair for either of us. I’d beat you too badly.” After about ten minutes of arguing, he finally agreed to play one game up to eleven points and scored by 1s and 2s instead of 2s and 3s (the way most one-on-one games are supposed to be played.) Well, you’d better believe I kicked his ass 11-1, but of course was given excuses as to how “he wasn’t actually trying.”
Although I am clearly not a “girly-girl”, I refuse to call myself a tomboy. According to dictionary.com, a tomboy is “an energetic, sometimes boisterous girl whose behavior and pursuits, especially in games and sports, are considered more typical of boys than of girls.” By reading the above paragraphs, one might assume that I’m the perfect fit. However, I do not consider myself one. In fact, that word does not even exist in my vocabulary. Although I’m not too into makeup, I’ll still put some on every time I leave the house. I love nail polish, jewelry, and girls nights out. I take care of myself and dress nicely, and I’ll admit that once in a while, shopping can be fun. And I watch sports (mainly basketball and football) for two reasons: because I actually love the sports and (like all of my friends who don’t care about sports) to crush on the cute players.
Society has placed different expectations for how little boys and girls are supposed to act. Young boys are supposed to play with toy cars and action figures while girls play with dolls and Barbies. Well guess what? Growing up with an older brother, I spent most of my childhood playing with Hotwheels and basketballs, but I also had a pink room. And dollhouses. And Barbies. I know times are different and people are starting to understand that stereotypical gender roles have changed, but society will always make it hard for them to completely go away. So no, I am not a “tomboy.” I am simply a girl who did not want to abide by the role that society had placed upon her. Not because I love sports, or because I love nail polish. But because I love both.
-Nairi Dulgarian
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posted by Editorial Staff | 10:42 AM
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