To be fair, I don't think our worlds even remotely touch.
The island girl world is for girls who surround themselves with men, probably as an artifact of growing up around a secure male presence or surrounded by brothers /other men.
I grew up around women.
My wife is sort of like this.
She grew up in a man's world and, almost paradoxically, didn't experience these things with other women.
Then she moved to the West, where most people grow up in a woman's world.
I get that. I have studied math and teach math. My closest female friends are math profs like me. Our mentors are all men, mathematicians from earlier generations.
But I have the worst “daddy issues” that I should be a country musician. I could write a book about my daddy issues.
But my professors during my formative years gave me security and structure and I still know them well to this day, so you are correct in that regard. I did not realize working in a male dominated field has had this unintended but positive consequence.
Interesting. Nice.
And after this female mentorship you ended up married and are currently in family life?
I did end up married. I lost my husband tragically and it took me too long to recover. It still hurts a decade later. I do not know how people jump into a new relationship after something like that.
I ran off to teach for the Peace Corps for a while then found my purpose with other worthy pursuits instead of remarrying. I am too old to have children of my own now.
All my friends are married with families and I am happy to be Auntie Drea. Sounds sad, but I am actually like Candide, convinced I live in the best if all possible worlds 🤣
Sorry for your loss.
