May 15, 2006

• A tradition I could do without...
  There is a tradition, an apparently time-honored ritual, that I had sincerely hoped would dissappear as I grew into adulthood.

  And that, my friends, is the "The women-folk clear the table and wash the dishes while the men-folk watch TV" tradition.

  I resented this as a young girl, and was sure that in my ideal, egalitarian marriage, that there was no way I would be clearing dishes while my husband watched TV with the other men-folk. This magical state of affairs has not come to pass.

  Note, I have no objection to helping clean up when we have gone to another family member's house for a meal. In my book, it's courteous and polite. My choices, as I see it, are be kind of a jerk on the premise that this role is being fulfilled solely by the female half of the population and refuse to help, or help and once again find myself firmly ensconsed in the gender-sterotyped roles I have been trying to escape.

  The scene: a mother's day barbecue.
  And after we have eaten the delicious meal, who is making multiple trips out and in to clear off the table?

  Why that would be the three mothers in whose honor this meal was supposedly held.

  Who is in front of the TV?
  Why, our menfolk, of course.

  

  • 3:49 pm
  • 1 Comment