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The Wifely Duties

lolly_loisides

One Too Many
Messages
1,845
Location
The Blue Mountains, Australia
Feminists still work closely with the union movement (at least in my personal experience)
32-2_australia.jpg
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
LMH - you're welcome to come over for dinner anytime you like!

When you make something mouth watering, please, invite us over!

I agree with this. I mean, I only spend forty plus hours a week there and am hardly defined by it. People also seem to look down their noses at me, because it's 'working class' which touches on C-dot's statement earlier. When you reply 'I work in a factory' people think you're scum. My mom went to work in the factory when I was 7 years old, after my father's accident. Factory money kept a roof over our heads and food on our table, and it still does so. My mother, sister, and I all work at the plant together, now and are very proud. There's nothing wrong with being working-class.

Aren't they just. My personal bugbear is how ingrained it is in the culture for people making small talk at parties or whenever to simply ask "so, what do you do?" - as if the very core of my being is encapsulated by my job. I mean, I've heard of the protestant work ethic, but that's ridiculous! ;)
 

Marzena

One of the Regulars
Messages
127
Location
Poland
Contrast this with the feminism of the Era -- which worked closely with organized labor in addressing the real-world issues that working class working women faced. Where is the equivalent of such a movement today?

True, and I could give an interesting example . In my country, the big women's issue is non-payment of child maintenance after divorce. The existing legislation is very faulty, and if the man is unwilling, he may easily avoid any financial responsibility. For several reasons in which I will not go here, this is mostly a working class women's predicament. With the financial crisis looming, the situation is getting worse, not better.
When desperate women tried to seek help of feminist organisations, to change the law and introduce beneficial changes they were completely ignored. I watched the TV show presenting this problem and the contrast between mostly working class mothers and the well educated, articulated, mostly academe employed "women's rights activists" could hardly be greater.

The issue was finally resolved by the afflicted women themselves, who found sympathetic volunteer help, quite outside any organised feminist groups. With professional assistance they drafted a bill setting up a government operated fund which adninisters payments when necessary and then takes rather more effective action agains the defaulters. This draft was then successfully pushed through parliament - without any involvement or support of one notable parliamentary body: Parliamentary Women's Group.
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
LMH - you're welcome to come over for dinner anytime you like!



I agree with this. I mean, I only spend forty plus hours a week there and am hardly defined by it. People also seem to look down their noses at me, because it's 'working class' which touches on C-dot's statement earlier. When you reply 'I work in a factory' people think you're scum. My mom went to work in the factory when I was 7 years old, after my father's accident. Factory money kept a roof over our heads and food on our table, and it still does so. My mother, sister, and I all work at the plant together, now and are very proud. There's nothing wrong with being working-class.

I know it is basically true about how some people can react to what another person does for a living, but it is not always that way....least not with me and many of the people I hang with.
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
Not here, at least not that I can see. Of course, the union movement here is an impotent shell of what it once was, but that's another story.

My take on most unions today is they no longer serve a real function. Most workers have rights, and although it would be nice that workers would always have a union to protect them on the job, for the most part unions now are like vampires. Unions want to collect dues from members, bargain to have jobs for lesser pay to member/workers, and have added to the overall crisis of many industries as it is. Some may state a union is a necessary component of protecting the rights of the worker, however I tend to not agree. The motive for almost every single union has been to make a buck off the employer and employee and to do so as a business all it's own.

In the immediate area of my manufacturing business, there are a few union shops. Those employers pay less hourly wages by about 3 to 4 times that I pay my employees, they have less medical benefits and long term benefits than what I elected to give to my employees. The kicker of it is those union members pay $295.00 a month to be a member of a union, and make around $12.00 per hour. The owners of those businesses pay some money to the union itself for being involved and then the union members pay the union dues. How nice.....(not).
 

Gregg Axley

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,125
Location
Tennessee
What do you do for a living? I'm an eraser for the government, for those who ask way too many questions, especially personal ones. :D
Of course I've been known to give answers similar to that nature, to nosey people I don't know.
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
What do you do for a living? I'm an eraser for the government, for those who ask way too many questions, especially personal ones. :D
Of course I've been known to give answers similar to that nature, to nosey people I don't know.

Now that is a very classy way of dealing with it.

I actually recall one time when I was in a fancy joint in Vegas, someone sitting next to me asked if I was into high finance, and I mentioned no, I am into junk...they asked if I dealt with many junk bonds or just a few, and again I came back quickly responding no, I put your junk into the truck as it goes from one house to another...that shut them up rather quickly!
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
LMH - you're welcome to come over for dinner anytime you like!



I agree with this. I mean, I only spend forty plus hours a week there and am hardly defined by it. People also seem to look down their noses at me, because it's 'working class' which touches on C-dot's statement earlier. When you reply 'I work in a factory' people think you're scum. My mom went to work in the factory when I was 7 years old, after my father's accident. Factory money kept a roof over our heads and food on our table, and it still does so. My mother, sister, and I all work at the plant together, now and are very proud. There's nothing wrong with being working-class.

At the point of my being able to eat at your place, I have to warn you, eating is a serious business for me, watch out, don't take a plate from me while I am still inhaling the food off it, and keep all small children back into a safety zone!
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
To get back to the topic here, I do have to say, a Wife has so many things to do, working out of the home or not, I would hope each person who can say, "I have a Wife", will give her all the love and credit humanly possible.

You may not find God in your life, but I do in mine, and I am thankful he has blessed my life with the good woman I have, that I call, my Wife. She out shines me in any area, bar none!
 

C-dot

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,908
Location
Toronto, Canada
What do you do for a living? I'm an eraser for the government, for those who ask way too many questions, especially personal ones. :D
Of course I've been known to give answers similar to that nature, to nosey people I don't know.

Including the coffee taster one? That was my favourite :D

When I tell people what I do, they give me a look as though I'm going to have a warrant sworn out for their arrest.

To get back to the topic here, I do have to say, a Wife has so many things to do, working out of the home or not, I would hope each person who can say, "I have a Wife", will give her all the love and credit humanly possible.

You may not find God in your life, but I do in mine, and I am thankful he has blessed my life with the good woman I have, that I call, my Wife. She out shines me in any area, bar none!

I hope she reads what you say about her, I'm sure it would give her a warm fuzzy feeling :)
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
Including the coffee taster one? That was my favourite :D

When I tell people what I do, they give me a look as though I'm going to have a warrant sworn out for their arrest.



I hope she reads what you say about her, I'm sure it would give her a warm fuzzy feeling :)

Thank you...for those words. I can tell you, really, if you only knew what I do for her, and show her....not just say to her....there is not one day of our life that will ever pass, that I do not find something new or different to give or to do for her, to show her my thankfulness...and love that I have for her.

And you know, there was no "rules" book for me to be as I am. It is a matter of choice and a duty that the heart sets the bar for.

In return, she shows me the same love, endlessly, by nature. That is the "how and why" we as a married couple, work....what we do works. It is a blast, awesome, fun, and a blessing.

We have our serious moments (romance) but I can tell you, if you think of how I post, whew....we have fun daily...nothing dull happening in our life. Nope!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! lol!
 

kamikat

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,794
Location
Maryland
What do you do for a living? I'm an eraser for the government, for those who ask way too many questions, especially personal ones. :D
Of course I've been known to give answers similar to that nature, to nosey people I don't know.

When you live in the DC area, where most people work for the government, you can't give answers like that. They'll try to give you the secret handshake ;)
 

Gregg Axley

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,125
Location
Tennessee
If it involves coffee, I think the secret handshake is usually a jittery one. :p
I'm in local gov't, and we have "looks" not handshakes.
That is a funny suggestion though. I could cut a hole in my office door, like they had in the old speakeasy.
Then only let those I want in my office, provided they know the password.
"Black Silk" or "Dark Roast" or especially "Pecan", will get you in.
Back to the thread.
My wife and I don't have kids, but I can't imagine the number of directions people are pulled with just 2 kids.
Growing up, I used to watch a friend of mine's mom shuffle them all over the place. FINALLY the oldest one learned to drive and then HE got the Honda and the other 2 brothers. I swear, the lady I'm talking about looks good "for her age" but I don't know how she kept from looking 100 (she's 73) earlier than she should.
Despite all the running around, and lack of sleep I'm sure she endured, she raised 3 successful boys. Their father helped, don't get me wrong, but he was in charge of delivering babies for hundreds of patients, and those things don't have a set schedule. LOL
 
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