by Cari Ross

Created on: August 04, 2008

"May I please have this dance?"

She hears a low yet clear voice over her shoulder. Raising her left hand, she finishes her sip and slowly turns her head. They gaze into each other's eyes. Without looking away, she hands her glass to a friend and turns to hold out her right hand towards him. He gently grasps her fingers, kisses the back of her hand, and escorts her towards the center of the ballroom.

The music seems to carry them to another time and place; alone and at peace. He turns to embrace her with his right hand, and finds the lower part of her shoulder blade. He gently extends her right hand with his left. He leads her gently by shifting his weight, stepping, and adjusting the position of hand. She senses his motion, and moves accordingly. Like a single body, they move fluidly.

Like a single body, they share between them qualities, characteristics, which contribute to the beauty of the overall picture while retaining their individual uniqueness, distinctness. That which they share between them is not equality. That which they share between them is respect. Such characteristics as equality and respect are often misinterpreted and misrepresented in modern society.

Equality denotes equivalency and implies that those items being compared are alike in nature. Equality is a logical mathematical concept. Two items are equal only if they are exactly identical.

A man and a woman are not equal. A man and a woman are not exactly identical. Genetically, they differ even before birth. Heterogametic, a male human has X and Y sex chromosomes, while a female human, being homogametic, has two X sex chromosomes.

A man and a woman may dress the same. A man and a woman may style their hair the same way. A man and a woman may also participate in the same extracurricular activities, the same social functions, or even the same professional or political endeavors. This man will never equal this woman, nor will this woman ever equal this man.

However, this man and woman may form between them a feeling of mutual respect.
Respect implies appreciation; to respect someone regards him or her with honor or esteem.

When a man respects a woman, he admires her. He values her. He considers her reliable, trustworthy, and competent. He can find no reason to question neither her morality nor her integrity. When a woman respects a man, she recognizes his motivations. She expresses a general concern for him. She thinks highly of him. She considers him worthy.

In today's society, a woman may express the desire for equality. A man may express the desire to treat a woman equally. However, one should consider the context in which the term is used to decide whether the implied characteristic is indeed respect, not equality.

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