WIFE
Throughout history women have been slotted into neat little categories. Wife, mother, whore, spinster, etc. In a post-birth control, post-equal rights legislation era one would assume these would be relegated to quaint little footnotes in history books we hand to our children. Sadly these are in full effect with a few new ones added to the bunch to keep up with the times.
Take for example Boudica the historical/mythical woman of legend who went into battle at the head of an army after an invasion into her country and the rape of her daughters. She is lauded as a warrior and depicted as a fierce amazonian woman weilding a spear. Lets simplify, her shit was destroyed and her daughters violated, she was pissed off and decided to get revenge instead of sit at home and wait for someone else to do it. She was proactive, extraordinary yes but she took initiative. When a woman does something outside of these categories she is treated like a dog who just began speaking. "OOOH look what she did! Amazing!" Thanks for the kudos but hell...
Marriage follows. If you're a wife you organize family social gatherings, make sure the house is clean, make sure your husband has clean underwear while he eats a healthy yet tasty meal you made following a recipe from the Chatelaine you found at your 50 hour/week job. Then theres kids (I just don't have the strength to go there!). When a husband cleans house, or makes a meal, society throws him a cookie, pats his head while making the whip noise behind his back. What the hell? Am I on crack or do we both work full time? My husband never complains. We have a rule, you make a mess you clean it, you're home first, you make the meal, the other cleans (this one went out the window since my cooking could be used for the execution of death row inmates).
At work a female in a position of authority is a mega bitch, a man is efficient. If a woman is anything but a wife and mother we need to find out why, and when she will join the ranks of exhalted said state. As a married woman without children my belly is watched carefully. My theoretical maternity leave has been the fodder for a meeting or two at work for future department planning. SAYS WHO? Some days I think I should turn up to work with a pillow under my shirt to screw with people.
Lets just be women without labels. That's all
Take for example Boudica the historical/mythical woman of legend who went into battle at the head of an army after an invasion into her country and the rape of her daughters. She is lauded as a warrior and depicted as a fierce amazonian woman weilding a spear. Lets simplify, her shit was destroyed and her daughters violated, she was pissed off and decided to get revenge instead of sit at home and wait for someone else to do it. She was proactive, extraordinary yes but she took initiative. When a woman does something outside of these categories she is treated like a dog who just began speaking. "OOOH look what she did! Amazing!" Thanks for the kudos but hell...
Marriage follows. If you're a wife you organize family social gatherings, make sure the house is clean, make sure your husband has clean underwear while he eats a healthy yet tasty meal you made following a recipe from the Chatelaine you found at your 50 hour/week job. Then theres kids (I just don't have the strength to go there!). When a husband cleans house, or makes a meal, society throws him a cookie, pats his head while making the whip noise behind his back. What the hell? Am I on crack or do we both work full time? My husband never complains. We have a rule, you make a mess you clean it, you're home first, you make the meal, the other cleans (this one went out the window since my cooking could be used for the execution of death row inmates).
At work a female in a position of authority is a mega bitch, a man is efficient. If a woman is anything but a wife and mother we need to find out why, and when she will join the ranks of exhalted said state. As a married woman without children my belly is watched carefully. My theoretical maternity leave has been the fodder for a meeting or two at work for future department planning. SAYS WHO? Some days I think I should turn up to work with a pillow under my shirt to screw with people.
Lets just be women without labels. That's all
posted by Blair A-E at 8:15 PM
