When you take a walk in the black of some night and you look up ahead at the sky, you can see these enigmas of light shining so very brightly called stars. Stars are created through the clashing of dust in space and clouds of gas; they are created through harsh environments. The reason that they shine so brightly and we are gifted with their presence is ultimately because they reside in the galaxy that is the most suitable for them. However, every so often, there is a phenomenon known as a runaway star. These are stars that have, in some way, shape, or form (typically due to black holes or crowded clusters) have been ejected outside the galaxy they are supposed to be in. So what happens to them if they aren’t where they’re supposed to be? Unfortunately, they either are stuck wandering in space, or they eventually erode into nothingness.
In society, the average runaway star is just a woman who fell to the pressures of other’s expectations of them. Ayesha Curry, chef, entrepreneur, and wife to NBA Superstar, Steph Curry, had also been ejected from her galaxy. Let’s talk about it.
In late August this year, Ayesha Curry was invited onto Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast. She was interviewed on her experience being married to The Golden State Warrior’s MVP, as well as being a mother. To many people’s disbelief, she mentioned how she originally never believed she would get married nor have kids. “I didn’t want kids. I didn’t wanna get married. I thought I was gonna be a career girl and that’s it,” Ayesha explained. “And I had my eyes set on my goals, and I was never the little girl that, like, dreamt about the wedding dress and all of that.”
She made sure to mention that while she might not have thought that this was the life she would have lived, she wouldn’t change a thing. She loves her children and her husband dearly and is eternally grateful for their presence in her life. However, she didn’t believe that becoming a wife and a mother was supposed to stop her from what she truly wanted to do in life, stating, “It’s so interesting. I spent my entire life, like, trying to work towards something and then it kind of just disappeared, and I didn’t think twice about it. But after my daughter turned 1, I remember there being a shift and being like, ‘I have goals for myself. Like, this doesn’t feel right. I love being a mom, but I love doing other things too.’ The people’s response to this was shocking to say the least.
“Ayesha Curry is proof that you can give a girl the world and she still won’t be satisfied,” says 5’3” 9th grader Brian Davila. He believes that Ayesha Curry was speaking from a place of dissatisfaction, which even if it were true, is still much higher than he could probably reach. “Steph Curry was done dirty. I haven’t listened to the whole interview. She wants other male attention other than Steph Curry.
“Have you seen the whole interview?”
“I saw clips of the interview, but I haven’t seen the whole thing.”
‘What was your opinion on Ayesha and Steph before this interview?”
“She was a nobody without him. She’s only famous because of Steph Curry. She has the lowest-selling cookbook ever. Don’t use your man, treat your man right. If you really love them, you’ll stay with them.”
On average, 48% of women say that they originally never wanted kids or to get married. When they envisioned their life as young women, they never pictured a man or children to be in it. However, many report that while they may not have originally planned on this happening to them, they wouldn’t change what they have.
Opposite to Divula’s argument, Tiana, a freshman here at Liberty, said that while what Ayesha said may have stirred the wrong pot, it wasn’t wrong at all. “It’s perfectly fine for young women, or anyone for that matter, to change their minds as they grow older. I, for one, don’t see myself having kids in the future or getting married. That’s okay. The same goes for people who maybe DO envision themselves getting married or having kids in the future. It’s not as if she said in that interview that she wants to leave her family and husband. Plus, she’s not Steph’s property. She’s a human being and she’s allowed to have emotions.”
Statistically, 45% of women report missing their life before they had kids, and 64% of those same women would even say they miss their life before marriage. The feeling is far more common than many like to believe.
Further into the interview, Ayesha Curry mentioned how the mixture of paparazzi and motherhood also took a toll on her mental well-being. “Stephen was putting a bike or something in the trunk. And this women opens the car door and she sticks her head in and she’s like, “I just wanted to see the baby!” And I’m like, ‘Oh, oh, excuse me.’ And she looks me dead in my face and goes, ‘Oh honey, you know what you signed up for.’ And then shuts the door on me.”
The people expect Ayesha to simply allow her life to be controlled by their opinions of her. So why is it that when she rebels, its suddenly a problem? If Stephen Curry said that he missed his life before marriage and children, then the people would sympathize with him. So why is his wife any different?
Ayesha Curry is just one of run-away stars on this planet. Women, day by day, have to sacrifice the life they want for the life they were forced to have. You could only help but wonder how many Albert Einsteins and Neil Armstrongs we could have had if it weren’t for the societal pressure on women throughout the history of time. Maybe, just maybe, if we let people live the lives they wanted, we would have more stars in our sky.
