Perception of the fairer sex

Have you ever wondered how your own perception about something has shaped up the way it is?
Well I do. This post is going to hover about my perception about women in general, has shaped up to what it is now. May be someone from gender and women studies can use this as a excerpt of how a Indian thinks about women.

When I was a kid, about 2nd or 3rd grade, it really doesn't make a difference if its a boy or a girl. All you want to do is have fun and not pee on your shorts in class. Moms are exempted from this influential loop, because they are totally in a different plane. Though they form your initial perceptions.
Certain things told by moms are still fresh in ones thought process. Breaking the mould, thinking independently, especially denying their views is difficult.

I grew up and I was in a Co-ed school, and theres this sudden rush of boys vs girls thing. Class quizzes are more for this 'tacit one sided war' rather than accumulation of knowledge. One sided because I dont think girls were keen on beating us in exams. All they want is to be teachers pet and -for some- top the class. Theres this 'pick your opponent' scheme where the boy leader tells you whom to target and how miserable it is to lose out to that girl. As in the coach tells which player to 'man' in a basketball game and the POA for the term. So the sense of difference creeps in. This is probably well understood by the teachers, I mean, I remember one of the hot punishments during my middle school(5th to 8th grade) was to make you sit next to a girl. But I remember my first crush, I think she was my class monitor in 5th and she was the topper. Crush, infatuation makes no sense, I would say "I liked her" and thats about it. Its uncomplicated unconditional fleeting liking towards someone of the opposite sex. Rumour has it that she has eloped with someone(solace... ahaah).

Hmmm the teens... Girls mature mentally and physically much beofre guys do. So for a small short guy like me, it's dooms day. The big tall guys get into those fancy "couples" of the class list and guys like me wonder about how to make my moushtache grow faster, how to get taller and eventually how to be the girls guy? You become the heroes' friend who makes comedy rather than being the hero(the tall guy being the hero),like the likes of vivek, chinni jayanth, etc. My studies went hay way, but I din't give a damn. I have never been the topper of the class so 12th rank was no worse than 7th and I was happy with it.

Then the "pimple" years come by, where an oily faced guy like me, learns to tackle the pimples.
The pervert in me grew, and I think it was natural, after all every damn guy in this world is a pervert. Exceptions being the ones who hasn't seen a woman. This is that terrible phase of the teen, where one has to take the blows from all directions, the hook from the studies, the jab from dad, and the K.O punch from good looking girls you see in teens' hang outs.

I got acquainted with few girls in my class. I realised then girls can be real good friends. That they are a emotional sinks, patient listeners, very caring and helpful people. The notion that girls rant and rave about their problems ceased to exist, luckily I met the rarest kinds, the stoic ones. They are adorable in every sense. Since then there's this filter that prevents I-cry-for-everything, pink-color-loving, wannabe-sweet girls from being attractive and be repulsive. The respect for women in general has risen constantly through out my life, its still going up. I think its a good thing.