All the women who're independent

Throw your hands up at meeee!

I’ll start off with a small apology in case this sounds a little bit catty or nitpicky. SORRY.

Part of being Greek during spring term at my college is bequests. Bequests is an event where graduating members of the fraternity or sorority pass down items that are silly, meaningful, or full of house history to younger members of the frat or sorority. Generally, the more names written on the bequest, the “cooler” it is. Often, in order to decide who the senior should give all of her bequests to, she will send out a list of “Bequestions” to the soror for anyone to answer.

Yesterday a list of bequestions was sent to the soror. These bequestions included: Are you still a little girl at heart? Do you have a crazy family? And What makes you an independent woman? With a qualifier of “This is a meaningful bequest for me, so answer this bequestion thoughtfully.”

It’s this last question that I take issue with. I mean, I love Destiny’s Child just as much if not more than the next person, BUT

-- Why does she even have to ask this question? I feel like she should know us well enough to already have someone in mind for this bequest, especially if it is so meaningful to her. Does she really just want to give it away to whoever gives the best answer? And if I choose to answer this question and then don’t receive the bequest from her, does that mean that she doesn’t believe that I am independent? Or that my flavor of independence isn’t good enough for her?

However, the real question is:

--What makes an independent woman? Is it making your own money and buying your own clothes? Is it the absence of a steady boyfriend or girlfriend? Is it not shaving your legs? Is it choosing not to get married or have kids? Or is it waxing your private bits and then claiming “I do it because I like it, not because I care about what my boyfriend thinks” ?

And on the other hand, does the reverse of any of these things make a woman any less “independent” ? We are all women (in the soror at least) and we are all strong in our own rights. I firmly believe that we shouldn’t be asked to qualify our independence to anyone other than maybe, MAYBE ourselves (unless we don’t feel like it).

I think I’ll just assert my independence by not answering this particular bequestion, and leave y’all with this:

Girl I didn’t know you could get down like that.