Search Results: always questioning me

I asked an AI to shorten my original details so this post made not sound like me.

ok so I think I said this before in my old account but when I was a kid my mom used to run a side hustle selling women’s underwear and lingerie. Since we didn’t have a storefront, she’d either sell at home or go to customers’ places, and I’d tag along to help carry the merchandise.

obviously clients were always women, mostly in their 20s and older. I vividly remember how they’d casually strip down to try on bras and panties, asking each other stuff like, “Does this fit? does it make my boobs perkier? does it make my ass look bigger? you Think my man would like it?” and rarely cared that I was there; others might point it out, but they’d brush it off, saying things like, “He’s just a kid; it’s fine,” or even tell me directly, “is ok honey, you don’t need to look away.”

anyways unlike the typical American, I didn’t grow up feeling weird about nudity. But now as an adult, thinking back, it’s got me questioning. Its like now those moments feel connected to the way modern feminists sometimes use public nudity as a form of “empowerment.” Whether it’s women in protests today stripping down for attention or those in the 60s burning bras, there’s this pattern of framing nudity as liberation.

Looking back, I wonder since my mom’s customers did not see me as a threat that they probably were using my presence to feem empowered themselves Consciously or not, since they might’ve been feeding off the idea of being seen but thought there werent gonna be any consequences since I was a kid. its like the dots are suddenly connecting now.

I was shocked yesterday when my girlfriend expressed that she thought it was weird that I give a gift AND a card for Christmas, birthdays, etc. (I’m not talking about the generic “Happy Holidays From Our Family To Yours” courtesy cards, I’m talking people you’re close with and exchange gifts with.

I was taught to always buy a card to accompany the gift, and that the card and it’s sentiment is more important than the gift. And when receiving a gift, I was raised to read the card first, take in what’s written in it, and thank the giver, before even opening the present (upon doing so, I’d then thank them for the gift).

In her world, cards are just something you give if you’re not exchanging a gift with someone, just an acknowledgement. If you’re giving a gift, an additional card is unnecessary, unless it’s something like cash or a gift card. And she asked me if I had ever noticed her family doesn’t give me cards with my Christmas gifts, and I guess I haven’t, haha.

I’m not offended by it or anything, I just was surprised because I thought my way was standard. And she said the same, and we’re both questioning it now because we both have small families and subsequently small gift-exchanging circles.

So I’m curious what all of you folks think. Do you give a card AND a gift? Or a card OR a gift? I guess I’m primarily concerned with opinions of people from North American countries/cultures that I’d be around, it might be totally different elsewhere, but all opinions are welcome👍