Are you a bitch? Well, are you?

Is there ever a time you find yourself bitching for absolutely no reason whatsoever?

Women are aware of who they are, what position they hold and they sure as hell know how to work every aspect of their being to either get what they want or appear like they have all the answers. No?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but women are not only intellectual beings — they also have a way about them that is not carried out in the same manner by a man.

Whether it be that time of the month for us ladies that sets us up for disaster, or that guy who said he was going to call, yet somehow dropped off the face of the planet (and never actually did), we all have our little ticks that can just set us up for disaster. The trick is to learn how to control these unearthly behaviours and catch them right in their tracks, before they set us up for an unpleasant scenario.

Be it with friends or family or co-workers — the truth of the matter is, you as a independent, self-providing woman should be able to, most of the time, control whom you allow to see you when you are not your typical sweet and caring self.

There comes a time in all our lives when things appear to be at their absolute worst and we see no way out. So what is the first, typical response?

Well, for most women it is stressful not being able to see a way out of a situation and some may even act out in a way that wouldn't necessarily portray them in the most positive light. Right? I mean, how many times do we see this. We are in line at the grocery store ready to strangle the person ahead of us because all they do is ask the person who is supposed to be serving them a million stupid questions that have no relevance to their purchases. Or how about the time we are simply walking behind someone and we want to do nothing more than push them out of our way just because they are “walking too goddamn slow.”

Let's not deny the obvious here. We have all done it and will continue to do so; the only thing that matters is how a woman handles herself in the most unpleasant of all situations. Would it make you feel better to push that person in front of you out of the way? Or yell at the person ahead of you in a line-up? Temporarily it will. Sure.

But how are you going to feel with the aftermath?

Believe it or not, we as women have a certain image we should uphold and we should not stoop down a level when we are unable to control our emotions. Stand above it. The same way you carry yourself when you walk into a crowded room should be the same way you deal with your emotions when it comes to more than unruly scenarios despite whom it is with. Be smarter than the individual who upset you or the individuals who are getting on your last nerve. Hard concept I know. But with some control capabilities the goal is attainable. Trust me ladies when I tell you this, you, at times, can in fact be your own worst enemy if you do not proceed with caution and just say the first thing that comes to mind. There are times when it is undeniably difficult to shy away from exploding to get your point across and does indeed take time to perfect the skill; but truth be told, it can be done. Listen to the inner you that does in fact know the difference between right and wrong and who wouldn't even think about being a bitch to a person who she will most likely never run into again in her lifetime. Be a better woman than that and do not give a second thought about possibly wasting your time and energy on someone who is probably not going to understand your point of view anyhow.

The following are quick and simple ways women can adapt to new ways of thinking without overreacting to not-so-important situations:

- If you ever find yourself angry, give yourself a little space and time to figure out what it is you want to say or do. Worst-case scenario would be to lash out before thinking about what you should say.

- If someone has some constructive criticism to provide you with that you do not like, take a little time to reflect on why they said what they said. Worst case scenario would be to immediately disagree with their opinion…as it might not have nice consequences that follow.

- Women are hormonal by nature and sometimes we just want to cry. Avoid if possible especially in situations where your tears are not necessary

- If someone decides to gossip about the person they think you are, stand above it. Either choose to confront the individual and stand your ground or move on and know you are a better person than they are.

- Have a strong support system who are not afraid to be honest with you on things you do well and things you could work on.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.