Since the dawn of time, our lives have been divided into boxes. Blue, pink, girls, boys, effeminate, manly… you get the gist. We’re assigned tasks, live our lives, and strive to fit into the world based on our gender. Which, in itself, is a narrow lens through which to judge the infinite multitudes of any human being.
But change is the only constant. And with each new wave of change, the lines that divide us, blur and melt into each other giving way to newer, more dynamic things. Slowly, gender ceases to be a defining characteristic, refusing to tell us what is feminine or masculine. We have seen one aspect of this change in the garbage bag of a year that has been 2020.
This year has changed all of our lives drastically. It has been an eye-opener for many of us to pause, breathe, and look within ourselves. Close to seven months back many of us packed up our bags and went home when the lockdown started. I did too, and so did my brother. With the whole family being together after so long during this lockdown, a lot changed and a lot more came to light.
My brother learned to cook. After a long day of sitting at his desk, taking endless calls, and screaming into his safety pillow, he decided to get up and announce to my mum that he’s going to cook! The next day, when my mother went to his room his bed was already made. Over the weekend, he was spotted cleaning the car. And most shocking of all, he even got me a glass of water! Who was this man? And what had he done to my brother?
But while we were all thankful for this new and improved brother 2.0, one thing that really grinds my gears is how smug he looked while taking care of the most basic household tasks. Most of us millennials tend to be delusional about the amount of hard work that goes into looking after a house and the people within it. Our mothers, sisters, and grandmothers have been doing this job for centuries now. And while it’s great that my brother has taken it on himself to help out, he shouldn’t feel like he needs a medal for it.
The pandemic has changed a lot of things. The way we work, the way we meet our friends, and the way we drink silently on lonely full moon nights. But it has also changed the way men look at housework. Many men have taken the mantle to help out in the house. And while it’s not something that needs to be recognised with medals and chocolates, it is something that we need to notice and feel hopeful about. It’s time that #MenBeFlexi in our house. It is after all the 21st century!
Also, you know what else is flexi? Sporto Flexiwear that aids the men in our lives who no longer let society put us in boxes. The men who wear the pants and don’t shy away from learning to run a house, the ones who know the importance of being flexible and riding life on a new wave of change and acceptance. While they put a positive spin on this year, don’t forget to look out for their Flexi range of clothing from joggers, tracks, to the coolest t-shirts! Check out the video below to see how #MenBeFlexi.
Also, check out the other videos here.