People, in general, have fed into certain stereotypes about the Gemini personality. The most notorious of these stereotypes is that Geminis are moody and mean. My thoughts on this assertion is that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. All wimyn are moody … but men are, too.
But the Gemini seems to take all the heat for mood swings while individuals born under other astrological signs slip by unnoticed. My Taurus sister, for example, is plain psycho when it comes to mood swings; other friends, acquaintances and relatives born under various signs also display lots of mood shifts that leave me baffled. Heck, the wonderful Cancerian sistah, who I plan to marry when it's legal, has more moods swings than I do. ( But she'll deny that—'Luv ya boo, don't put me on the couch.' )
My position on this issue is that ALL humans display mood shifts, because life creates lots of emotional stimulation that trigger mood swings. It could be an unexpected personal challenge; fears or concern; or sudden excitement. Nevertheless, I wear my negative Gemini stigma proudly, even though it's clearly an issue of double standards. Sometimes you just can't fight the crowd; you can only pick your battles.
The positive effect of this negative stereotyping is that it provides me with an excuse to misbehave. You see, the 'Gemini excuse card' is an effective replacement for the 'womyn excuse card.' In other words, when I'm interacting with men, and do or say something outlandish, my excuse has always been, 'What do you expect, I'm a womyn!' But I can't use that excuse with other wimyn, so I pull out my handy Gemini excuse card in these situations. It works like a charm—'Hey I'm a crazy Gemini!'
On the real, tho, people's moods change for a variety of practical reasons, not because they're simply trippin or because they're born under a certain astrological sign. The most common reason for a mood shift is defense: to protect ones boundaries ( areas of comfort ) . You may not understand why your lover, friend, acquaintance or co-worker's mood suddenly changes from calm to 'bake,' but trust that someone, or some action, has just pissed them off. People, in general, keep the cause of their sudden mood shifts to themselves, which means you are only privy to the effect. In the end, you're left to incorrectly conclude that, 'She's trippin again.'
The more sensitive a person is, the more likely her comfort zones will be violated; then it's the effect ( sudden mood swings ) accompanied by strong emotions. Geminis are very sensitive, as are sistahs born under the Cancer and Scorpio signs. I knew this going into my relationship, and therefore worked to remember the sensitive nature of my lady Cancer and my Gemini-self. This understanding helped us to resolve lots of misunderstandings and is also assisting in our relational growth.
The 'mean' part of the Gemini stereotype is simply a reaction to having one's boundaries violated; now, people get mad when offended or misunderstood. The more sensitive you are, the quicker you'll react to having your boundaries challenged. There's a reason for every person's behaviors—even if you don't accept it! Cause and effect is always at work. So, in defense of the Gemini, there really is none. Folks simply enjoy making others feel inferior so they can feel superior.
E-mail at vickynabors@hotmail.com .
ALMA Receives Grant
The Association of Latino Men for Action ( ALMA ) has received a $20,000 grant from Nuestro Futuro, a Latino philanthropic initiative of The Chicago Community Trust.
ALMA is the first gay organization to receive funds from this initiative. Funds will be used to continue ALMA's programs and services as well as increase its visibility within the Latino community. 'We are delighted by the growth that this represents for the organization,' stated Julio Rodriguez, who is president of ALMA's board.
The organization's programs include a support group for monolingual Spanish speakers, a youth scholarship program, a live interactive television show on Chicago's CAN-TV network, educational forums and workshops dealing with issues such as coming out; immigration; drug and alcohol abuse; and HIV/AIDS prevention.