dump trucks and barbie dolls

All day long a dump truck drives back and forth in front of the house. Each time Sebastian perks to the rumble as it barrels down the road and has a fleeting sight of it. It makes me wonder if he was a girl if he would show any interest. Was it me who subconsciously pointed the truck out to him the first couple times it went by or did I notice his intrigue and play into it? When I was a nanny for a two year old years ago we used to sit on the porch and watch the construction site across the street all damn day. All the dudes even knew the kid's name... 
I remember a parent telling me once about how they brought their baby into a kindergarten class and all the little girls flocked to it and none of the boys gave a second glance. This guy insisted it was an ingrained trait, not cultural. But I've been taking Sebastian to kid areas (like on the ferry) and to a mama-baby/pregnant mamas/mama-tots drop-in every Monday since we arrived and he's found his way into many an adventure with four year old boys and they undeniably think he's cute.
A friend of mine gypsied it in Mexico once with a woman who had a baby. They decided the kid shouldn't be constrained by gender so gave it an ambiguous name (I think it was Lynx) and called it "tree" instead of "he" or "she." Kind of makes me laugh. Were they crazy or were they onto something? I'd love to meet that kid.
So I obviously wouldn't raise Sebastain and future kids in with such extremist intentions because it's not my style, but I as he gets older and his personality is revealed more and the way the world interacts with him and he interacts with the world really start to make lasting impressions and shape his personality, it's something that I'm aware of.
I don't think there's anything that oppressive about gender identity but maybe that's because I've never had a problem with my gender and my supposed role in the world. Most times I've been confronted with people who expect me to be a certain way because I'm a woman, or take certain privileges because their guys (or women for that matter) I've been more amused than enraged. I usually take as a sign of their need for growth more than reality. 
Well, these random trains of thought probably aren't going to sort themselves out any time soon. Sebastian is sitting beside me chucking toys off the side of his highchair and as I hear the rumble of the dump truck again I point it out to him; he's in awe. He's into it, that's all that matters. Maybe when he's old he'll love Barbie and it will all even out.