What is a woman ?

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

I don't lump all Whites, Blacks, Women, Children, Christian, etc, etc, etc, into one group. It may be easier for me because it is a part of my job and I know what kind of trouble you can get into, or make, when you assume anything about an individual based solely on what you perceive to be true.

As this is written, this is not true. Please allow me to clarify.

When I speak of children, teens, Blacks, Whites, etc etc, etc, I am usually using the groups as they are categorized. I try extremely hard not to use that as an identifier for the individual person I am interacting with.
The forms I use is full of categories. They ask for race, ethnicity, age, gender, she, them, they pronouns, and a ton of other identifiers. I am sure the government has a ton of reason for requesting this information, but I cannot use any of that information to make a determination on what type of person my patient is. It does not tell me what they think, what they fear, what they desire, what they have done. I have to start with a blank slate and let my patient draw the picture.

This is not something that is easy for me to turn on and off. So I, more times than not, meet all individuals I don't know with an open mind, and I allow them to draw the picture that tells me who they are.

I have been known to poke and prod a little bit, to fill in any blank spaces that show up, but I honestly prefer leaving the baggage I carry at the door before I open that door.

It is the easiest, and very natural thing to do. Categorizing, comparing, making assumptions based on our perceived knowledge and past experiences. All mushrooms are not the same, and is worth the effort to not get it wrong.


Again. Just my opinion.