Quote:
Originally posted by DeltAlum
Of course it rubs you the wrong way. It would be amazing if it didn't given the context of society in 2002.
But it was written 50 years ago, and probably should be the reason for a couple of good chuckles -- not a lot of heartburn.
To say it again, things were a whole lot different then. You simply can't critique something like this given the vastly different social climates then and now.
I'm not an expert, but I've lived long enough to have seen and understand both.
It wasn't disrespectful, just different than things are now.
By the way, I think my wife who graduated from college cum laude and now owns her own business, but chose to stay home and raise our kids instead of farming them out to day care; and who sat on an international board of directors for a not-for-profit organization with chapters in over eighty countries, would probably find your comment about, "other housewives. Give me a break," totally disrespectful of how she chose to live her life. I don't think you meant it that way, but consider how it might sound to someone else.
Then let's give whomever wrote that list (who is very likely dead by now anyway) a little mental slack.
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Oh DeltAlum, I didn't mean that to sound disrespectful in any way...especially to those woman who CHOSE to stay home and raise their children. In many ways I hope I'm fortunate enough to be able to CHOSE to do that as well, even though I enjoy working and like making my own money...but that is the struggle we women face today; stay home with the children or work and have someone else raise them. But back to my comment...it just bothers me that woman were expected to listen to their husbands gripe about their day, feelings, problems, etc. and keep their gripes, feelings, problems, etc. to themselves, and if they wanted to let out their feelings, etc. they'd have to count on friends, other housewives, etc. It's my personal opinion/belief that you and your partner should be one another's best friend. So the husband should be expected to listen to his wife, whether she's a housewife or an engineer, go on about her day. I don't feel that a relationship can be completely fulfilling when only one person is giving (one person always does the listening the other always does the talking...it's just not fair, it doesn't seem natural to me). I'm sure many people would agree with me, but that's probably b/c of today's society, as you mentioned. It seems that both men and women were cheated out of a true emotional relationship. Today we're all encouraged to share our feelings with one another (meaning our partners), which allows for a deep, meaningful relationship.
So the comment was not intended to knock housewives. It was intended to knock the idea that the man can blow off steam to the wife, but if the wife needed to blow off steam she'd have to seek the companionship of other housewives, friends, etc. when she should have been able to confide in her husband. Just b/c she didn't/doesn't have to leave the house for her job (keeping the home/raising the children) and he did/does (doctor, clerk, etc.) did not/does not make him more important...or deaf (hee hee)
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