unshaven maiden

I do not believe in spending my money on the unnecessary.
I do not believe that a woman’s body is only acceptable if altered.
Therefore, I do not believe in shaving.

When I was about 11 years old I have a rather vivid memory of playing on a playground with my best friend (at that moment).
I remember lifting my arms to go down the fire pole and my friend screaming “Eww!” pointing towards my underarms and then laughing “You have armpit hair!” I remember feeling extremely confused and embarrassed, I quickly lowered my arms in shame and told her that she had obviously been mistaken (I am a terrible liar and not very good with comebacks).
Later that day I went home and talked to my mother about my misadventures and she ran out, bought me my first razor and taught me how to shave.
Note: If I had no soul and was in need of making a pretty penny I could sell this childhood memory to an after school special about puberty (this episode brought to you by Gillette).
My mummy is a big supporter of the hair removal industry, she didn’t just teach me to shave my underarms (oh no) she also told me to shave my legs, feet, and the 3 or 4 microscopic hairs sprouting out of my toes.
She even went as far as to 'treat me' to frequent eyebrow waxes whenever they were ‘out of shape’.

Let’s now fast forward 7 bald and beautiful years to when I was 18.
I was at this point in my life accustomed to the good-for-nothing tradition of hair removal.
I lived 13 hours and 1 boat ride away from any of my friends and family in a small cold shack in a small cold town.
I had little money and was forced to abandon allot of items that were inevitable back home (shaving being the easiest to let go, cheese and cigarettes being the hardest).
When I finally decided to move back home I accepted cheese back into my life but left cigarettes and razors behind.
My parents were obviously unimpressed, buying into the notion that female body hair is either masculine or unclean.
The funny thing is I have now been an unshaven maiden for over 2 years and I have succumbed to neither of these stereotypes; I am an extremely hygienic person and I love with all of my heart what it means to be a girl.
I believe that if you are denying yourself of body hair than you are also refusing to acknowledge your femininity.
Growing hair is in the same category as growing breasts, it’s a symbol of becoming an adult.
What I don’t understand is why woman would flaunt and accentuate one form of puberty and in the same breath reject and criticize another.

What it all boils down to is money.
Big companies feeding off female insecurities, romanticizing the idea of looking youthful and prepubescent, and also pointing fingers at what is masculine and what is feminine.

The average woman spends $15 a month on shaving, it’s a miniscule amount of money but I would much rather spend it on a book or 2 and educate myself instead of sustaining gender stereotypes and sitting around itching my ingrown hairs.