I was walking in the garden when I noticed Divya in the distance. She was new to the area and I met her during my regular walks in the neighbourhood park. What started out as a shy smile soon developed into a walking friendship and I looked forward to our daily interaction. I was a little late that day so I frantically waved to her when I spotted her walking at the other end of the circuit. Strangely, she didn’t seem to notice.
I assumed something was the matter and speeded up my pace to catch up with her. A few yards closer, I waved again and received no response. I was puzzled and continued walking .
As our paths collided, Divya’s face broke into a huge grin and she waved and said the most exuberant hello! Now I was really flummoxed.
I asked her if anything was wrong or if she was worried about something.
“Not at all,” she assured me.
“Then why didn’t you wave when I waved to you?”
“To tell you the truth I couldn’t see.”
“What do you mean? Anything bothering you?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
” I feel so foolish telling you this but the truth is that I need specs. ”
“0h so you’ve left them at home.”
“No! I never had them in the first place.”
“So do you wear contacts? ”
“No! I normally wear nothing!”
” What ? Then how do you see? ”
” Everything I see is slightly blurred. I don’t have a great number so I squint and focus and concentrate really hard”.
“But that’s weird. Why don’t you wear specs?”
“I never wanted to wear specs. And I refuse to wear them.”
“But why?” I insisted, appalled that the poor girl went through life in a haze.
“Don’t you know that boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.”
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Now isn’t that a strange reason to refuse to wear spectacles?
Funnily enough what’s sauce for the goose isn’t sauce for the gander.
[Tweet “It’s a shame that a boy with spectacles is considered intelligent and smart but a girl wearing spectacles is considered awkward, gawky, nerdy and geeky.”]
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This is my response to Shalmojo’s campaign for creating an awareness on how much we put others or ourselves down on physical aspects, personality traits, financial status, perceived notions and mindsets conditioned by years of nonsensical vagaries.
Popularly called Body/Slut shaming, it’s gripping us all in epic proportions on a psychological levels and creating havoc in the minds of the young women and men who are more susceptible to peer pressure or “Peer pleasure” ?
Twenty- five Seven 