Not more than two and a half years ago, my family and I were "city folk", as some of the more…less-"city folk" people here would say. Personally, I don't consider myself a "city girl" as we've lived everywhere, and visited everywhere (hell, my Papa has lived 5 minutes from us <em>now</em> my whole life, and it's never bothered me). What's so…dramatic here is not the over-indulgence in <del>bad</del> country music or in the very redneck accents (who originated from Georgia, but that rant is for another day), but the "little" community we have. Every part of my city has it's own little sections, and technically I live just inside Cisco Garden and just outside of Marietta.

In spite of my argument of almost no difference in living, I'm not saying the country is <em>exactly</em> like city life. There are some things that any normal person wouldn't see (e.g.: every car (including four wheelers and golf carts) known to man riding down our rock road), and I was reminded of this yesterday.

Upon sitting in the car yesterday afternoon, waiting for my Dad to get his check cashed at some small convenient store (yep: almost 2000 dollars worth of just 20 dollar bills), a conversation popped up between my Mom and I:

<strong>Mom:</strong> Now that's something you don't see everyday…?
<strong>Me:</strong> A little boy riding a girl's bike?
<strong>Mom:</strong> No…well, yes, but that woman's hair is shaved on the sides.
<strong>Me:</strong> Like how Hannah and I used to do…oh, look, there's two more boys on girl's bikes.

So my Mom and I spent the next five minutes discussing saids boys (who were all obviously brothers and ranged from about 10 to 17) on girl's bikes, including the oldest, who had obviously gotten the short end of the stick, and was riding a <em>neon pink</em> bike. My Mom's theory was that they were bored and really wanted to go to the store; my theory was that their sisters were being bitches and decided to take their bikes (…which might explain how they ended up getting girl bikes in the first place), and having no other transportation, decided to say fuck it.

In the city, that would've never happened. In the city, afore mentioned brothers would've tracked down those bitches and a) beat them (playfully, of course) or b) bribed the hell out of them, because they were so <em>not</em> going to ride around on girl bikes. Once again, in the city, the whole population of boys (and I'm talking 1 on up to 24 (ha ha)) are either thugs or indie-wannabes, and riding on girl bikes would've ruined the reputation they seem think they have.

Of course, the conversation then switched to how boys were pressured to act like boys and girls could do whatever they wanted. If my sisters and I showed up at the store with "boy" bikes, there would be no questions or second glances; boys on girls bikes, while hilarious, will in fact get questions (and obviously a whole entire conversation) and second glances.

So all men-hater feminists out there: stick that in your back pocket, and without scoffing, please. Men and women all have pressures and issues, and just because men choose not to bitch about it doesn't mean they don't exist, and doesn't mean it isn't any harder for them.