Being a Curious Feminist

Enloe's article "Being Curious about Our Lack of Feminist Curiosity" really discusses about she wants us to become aware about what is going on around us. She says that if it were a natural thing to do then it would be easy but its not. People use the words "tradition" and "always" to get out of exploring new things. It is easy to ignore the topics around us when they are traditional or they always happen. Basically, it is a way to avoid the entire situation and to do nothing about it. Its the easy way. She said that even she is complicit with her lack of curiousness. I understand because it seems like it is an easy rut to fall into and that everyone does it, including me. To seriously listen is hard to do and you will find your self being surprised at what you have missed. Enloe brings up "girlhood" and how she is curious about the "American girlhood, even that of a tomboy, which was subtly feminized" (8, Enloe). She tries to figure out if her childhood was militarized by the actions that were going on around her. I would say that there was for her because she grew up around the post war time.I would say mine was not. As for the tomboy girlhood. That is something I understand completely. My mother was always in one ear trying to get me to wear dresses but my dad was in the other trying to get me to play sports. It could be very confusing as a child but I can see how Enloe made the comment of a subtly feminized girlhood.

Enloe's second chapter on "The Surprised Feminist" discusses how as human beings we are programmed not to be surprised. We rather have the reaction of "Oh well, of course it would tun out like that" (14, Enloe). I believe this is because we are afraid to be be surprised. We don't want to be shell shocked that something happened because that is what a surprise is. It is to have our current notions thrown into confusion. Enloe says that we should be open to surprise so that we are prepared for it when it comes. She used the example of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado. Each surprise has been gendered so far one way or the other. It changes and shapes our perceptions of masculinity and femininity. It is natural to be curious about the men with the guns and why they needed to prove their masculinity. She says we need to dig don deeper and be ready for surprise and to stand against it. I agree with her. I think preparing ourselves for the future and what could happen is exactly how we should go about life. Be ready for anything to happen.