Not too long ago, I was chastised by an onlooker about
not being a gentleman because my wife had spilled something and I didn’t rush
to clean it up for her.
While I was prepared to let that person think what they
wanted of me, it was my wife who explained that I open doors for her and other
gentlemanly deeds, but I also respect her ability handle things on her own. As
she put it, “He knows I’ve got this.”
I suppose in a world where men and women are still
expected to fit into ‘pre-defined roles’, the idea that I step in when I see
she needs help and step back when I know she can handle something is still
radical to some, but I have newfound hope.
Out of all the feedback I’ve received from The Gospel of
Wolves, I have yet to hear a single criticism over a man attempting to subdue a
woman and finding out the hard way that she has mixed martial arts training.
There’s a reason, the first physical fight in
The Gospel of Wolves series of books involves a woman who
is quite capable of defending herself and that’s because from what I’ve seen in
the world, it’s true.
Where I currently train in Tae Kwon Do is based on the
recommendation of a woman who earned her Black Belt there.
Of course in The Gospel of Wolves I’m also not shy about
exposing that other thing that makes a woman so sexy—her mind.
As the characters struggle to find their place in the
world, none of the women are waiting for a man to direct them to that place.
True, they carry the types of insecurities that comes
with simply living life and facing disappointment, but like any self-actualized
person, they are facing down their fears and going after what they feel they
deserve regardless.
Since the men in the book are equally self-empowered,
there is the possibility that perhaps readers aren’t noticing how the women
characters are being portrayed. If so, that still gives me hope that
perceptions are changing because think about what that means.
The characters aren’t being judged by their sex, but by
what they do.
It’s something I’d like to see more of in the real world.
Where it’s the character and the deeds of the individual
that determines strength or weakness, not the sex.
CHRIS WESLEY is the award-winning author of the fiction
book The Gospel of Wolves, the short fiction story Regret in Triptych and the
poetry book Pack Animals. He uses his fine art photography as prompts for
character sketches and settings in his fiction along with gallery shows. He has
written for the music magazine Night Moves Magazine, acted in independent
movies and plays; wrote, cast, directed, shot and edited an independent short
movie, started bands and gone solo. He plays a few instruments and is generally
considered a smart ass. He also has a thing for how we connect with each other
and with ourselves.
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