Cliche`

Gossiping Gossipers Gossip
And Gossips are all the same

Girls are a cat and a kitten
And chit and chat for the fame

Mothers talk up a drink and their kids
Disparaging all but their own

Boys are a pose and a poser
And have knowledge of all that is known

Fathers rub dub and robust
With discussion around a hearse

All in all we are finicky folk
Ruling the universe

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I seem to be inspired whenever there's a ballroom competition. I find myself becoming more and more disillusioned with the politicking and the sniping and the gossiping that goes on, even outside of competition. It's never really hit me just what parents (especially mothers) are capable of, when it comes to their children's success. My parents have always been more concerned with teaching my brother and I to fight our own battles, and I feel it's been worthwhile, particularly as there are many areas of my life where my parents have absolutely no influence. Like ballroom. I am the dancer and I am involved with the club and I have to take responsibility for my participation in the sport. This means the onus is on me to get up and dance; other people have their mothers to remind them (and often, yell at them). To a certain extent, I feel this makes me a better competitor, if I stuff up, I have no one to blame but myself. Again, unlike others, who can blame their partner for not practising enough (when really, they continually fend off their partner's suggestion of practise) or their parents (when their parents are moving mountains and oceans so have a chance at success) or the judges (stuck up old men, usually) or whomever chooses the music (it's all wrong, you can't dance to that!).

So while you might say that the above poem is too harsh and does not accurately represent your stereotypical view of people, those stereotypes do exist. The only way we can prove this poem wrong is by active non-conformance to said stereotypes and by not expecting others to conform.