I Ain’t Sorry.
It's not only a message for kurti or T-shirts. I often find myself either triumphantly shouting this in my mind, or desperately trying to convince this to myself.
For me, there are two significance to it:
1. Self-affirmation
2. The things for which women feel guilty stemming from gender inequality
There might be our buddy women who feel both, or only No.2.
I'd like to share my feelings about this line today.
SELF-AFFIRMATION
"Self-affirmation" means:
To consider that you are a precious existence even if you're inferior compared to others on some characteristics.
To consider your current self as 'totally fine' including some awful characteristics.
I think it's the stage way before 'self-love'.
I still clearly remember my parents and teachers in my childhood telling me stuff like "you are not a person everyone likes", "you are very selfish". I think I felt that nobody would like me if I reveal my true self. I think these words have stuck in my mind and have been subconscious 'suggestions'.
Things like my judging others are the reactions caused by my low self-affirmation, according to some articles.
Yes, it is not comfortable at all to live when your self-affirmation is low. I can never fully relax.
THE THINGS FOR WHICH WOMEN FEEL GUILTY STEMMING FROM GENDER INEQUALITY
In the society where a lot of people (including women) believe women are inferior to men, there are a lot of things for which women are forced to feel unreasonably guilty while men don't feel guilty for the same things. Many of these things are actually other people's responsibility, not these women's.
I think all the female readers can relate to this in daily situations. (There should be more things which minority gender people are forced to feel guilty about, but I don't discuss today)
WHAT I AIN'T SORRY FOR
For these two points, I still feel like kicking my ass or kicking others' ass pretty often.
But I'd like to make the statement "I Ain't Sorry" for lots of things like below.
I ain't sorry for the way I live my life.
I ain't sorry for my messy life with failures and mistakes.
I ain't sorry for not having built a career 'appropriate for my age'.
I ain't sorry for all my choices.
I ain't sorry for what/whom I love, what/whom I hate.
I ain't sorry for my body.
I ain't sorry for my face.
I ain't sorry for my hairstyle.
I ain't sorry for what I wear and what I don't wear, whenever, wherever.
I ain't sorry for my age.
I ain't sorry for my sexuality.
I ain't sorry for not having children.
I ain't sorry for hating cooking.
I ain't sorry for hating cleaning.
I ain't sorry for not being clever.
I ain't sorry for being slow at work.
I ain't sorry for not being creative.
I ain't sorry for not being a good talker.
I ain't sorry for not being a good joker.
I ain't sorry for my poor communication skill.
I ain't sorry for not being sociable.
I ain't sorry for not being likeable for everyone.
I ain't sorry for drinking alcohol whenever I want.
I ain't sorry for being a nicotine addict.
The list goes on.
Oh, also this,
I ain't sorry for hating monsoon.
– Hey Indian ladies, you people praise rain too much that I have to tell “I ain’t sorry” every day during monsoon.
How about you?