Wordle Conversation

So, this morning the Wordle solution was MANLY (I can say this here because no one reads this blog in any timely way).  For the last year I have been texting back and forth with a friend, sharing our Wordle triumphs and failures, and sometimes the words spark a brief conversation -- like the time when the solution was suddenly topical in the news, and possibly politically questionable (can't remember any of the details), something to do with the abortion rulings.

Anyway, this friend says, "Are we allowed to use that word anymore?"

Here is this morning's text exchange:

Me: "I absolutely know some upright honorable sweet manly men. You are one. Jon is another. Michael L. is another. There are obviously characteristics that come with being male, not necessarily having to do with brawn.  And I think it is quite possible that pride and stubbornness are part of the manly list."

Him: "That's a nice way to think about it. It doesn't have to be the same as macho."

Me:"Oh no. Not in my mind. There was an 80-something worker named Dick (who is on my mind because he just died) and he was a manly man. The kindest, with such integrity."

"Him: Who's stubborn?"

Me: "Do you know any men who are not stubborn? Every single man I know is prideful and stubborn in some way! Still lovable but in my estimation it is definitely a man thing. And that's why there are plumbers in the world. Mostly men."

Him: "In the case of plumbing, you need to be stubborn to get it fixed most of the time. Jon is exhibit A in that case."

Me: "This is why manly is not a bad characteristic in my mind."

Him: "You've convinced me."

But I have to admit that I have never really thought about this word or how it is used in normal society. It is probably true that the progressive half of this country might have a different definition from the retrogressive half (is that how we describe the two perspectives?).  The retrogressive people might have a whole different vision of manliness, and it is part of the perpetuation of what has been wrong with human culture since the beginning of time.

I guess if we want to keep using that word -- which I am not sure we really do -- we will need to redefine it. I just looked it up and it has to do with virility, strength, ability to fight. This may be why so many people are finding a new way to express their gender. Who wants to be part of those assumptions?

At the risk of really stepping into a polticially incorrect puddle, I think that the assumptions that people make about what it means to be a woman are a part of the reason that many more are finding that they don't identify as women.  But I think the concept of womanliness is also incorrect, obviously. It is outdated and far too narrow.  I understand that my view is a primitive and un-nuanced view of the current gender situation, but I really can't comprehend why anyone would not want to be a woman. We just need to change what we think it means to be a woman.

Non-binary life seems interesting but fraught. We will see what Wordle does with that.