Ma’am, I’m Seven…
We all encounter those individuals who pour out their innermost thoughts to us, even in the most unexpected places, like a chance meeting in a Target checkout line. This story introduces us to just such a person, a neighbor whose Halloween encounter with our storyteller took a rather unusual turn. At the tender age of seven, our storyteller was ecstatic, proudly displaying her Snow White costume as she approached her neighbor’s house, anticipating candy. However, what she received was not confectionery but a dynamic lecture.
This neighbor felt compelled to deliver a discourse on feminist theory, gendered stereotypes, and societal expectations to our seven-year-old protagonist. Who would have guessed a harmless princess costume could ignite such strong feelings? While the neighbor’s sentiments may have been valid, the front stoop during trick-or-treating hardly seemed appropriate for such discussions.