Equality?

Are we as women truly treated equally? I am serious here. Take a moment and think about it? Does society treat us fairly? Do we treat each other fairly?

I have written before about ROLES and I have ranted about them too. As I write this I don't rage or rant rather I ask the serious question if we as women are doing ourselves a disservice when we take on the majority of the work load for our families. I see this played out all the time. I know there are exceptions to the rules, and I love seeing those, but mostly I see us women working our asses off to please our men, care for our children, ourselves, and our friends. We do it all! Once we were the 50's housewife. Now we are that AND some!



Here is my inventory:


I organize (5 peoples LIVES and SHIT)
I clothe 5 people
I research my interest
I manage the social, medical, and work calendars
I am the party planner
I am the family photographer
I discipline
I listen to music
I manage 3 children's schedules
I manage the household nutrition (menu plan, shop, cook)
I am the family finance manager
I work
I keep us connected to friends
I veg out on TV
I file
I educate

And I am sure much more. You see that we as women juggle a tremendous amount in our lives. Even without children we juggle a lot. ALL while having washed hair, a little rouge on, and fashionable attire. We make concerted efforts to connect with our friends and family. We are constantly feeling and doing. We don't shut down often, because if we do our worlds would fail. And what has this done? What have we really accomplished? Have we just perpetuated the inequality in society? We have forced everyone to be reliant on us; children, men, friends, family.

I like to think of myself as liberated yet I see I am not. I don't allow equality to enter my life. I WANT TO DO IT MYSELF. I like the punishment maybe? I certainly like the control!

I can't anymore. I refuse to DO IT ALL. I refuse to become the martyr. Today I demand of myself no longer an A+ lifestyle or the I-can-do-it-all woman. I accept B-. I do what is needed and let the rest go. (NOT going to be easy for me, but I have to. I have to force equality this way. I have to find a balance. I accept my responsibilities but will not take on more than that. Or more than I can handle).

Let's see how it goes.

Signed,
Searching for equality Annie

Body Snatchers

I was reminded the other day that my body is not my own. Let me explain...once you have children your body and mind will never be the same. All you mothers understand this, I am sure.


Here's the rundown of how it works:
First, you are pregnant and you think to yourself this is going to be a delightful and wonderful experience to grow a human being. Well, let me tell you...it's NOT HUMAN...it's like an alien taking over you for 9 months! The things that your body does to you is not human like...the way you contort, bones moving, hair growing, nails getting to the length that would rival the Guinness world record, the secretions that come out of your body, the weight, the bloat, the water retention...LORD, when you are pregnant YOU ARE A MESS. And, it's not just your body, your mind goes to places you never thought possible...hormones fuck with you and make you cry when watching a Honda Odyssey commercial! If you're not crying you find yourself scrubbing down the driveway with bleach because you think it might have some kind of evil baby killing bacteria. Like I said you are a mess when pregnant.

Second, you have the kid and let's not even go into how THAT whole process alters your body. Then you hold this little infant in your arms and probably think, "ahhh, now I can finally get myself back." ......Um, NO! That cute little bundle of joy wants to "chomp on your nipples" (thank you to my 5 year old son for coining that phrase). Breastfeeding is all good and wonderful and I am 110% behind it, but again it F's with your body! It ruins those beautiful boobies you once had! Believe me I know all too well. After my twins I thought I should fix my deflated and inverted boobs so I got a job! Yup, a breast augmentation. Then what happened you ask? Well I got knocked up AGAIN!!!! Now the poor bobbies are back on the road to recovery with no actual end in sight.

Third, your body becomes a jungle gym for the kid. They claw you with their little razor nails. They use your hair as a rope to climb to higher heights. And if they are like my little baby, they use your now oversized nipple as a bracing point if they start to fall over. Just the other day my baby did this to me several times and I think my nipples are still sore from the trauma.

Fourth, as they get older I believe children get a secret and evil joy from pointing out your flaws. They tend to notice all the things that you are most insecure about; "what are those bumps on your face?" (that would be acne from the hormones that are still doing a number on my body.) "Why do you have a spot on your chin?" (that one would be a mole.) "You need to wax your arms like you wax your legs because they are super hairy." "How come your tummy is so squishy?" (that would be because I carried you in it for 9 months). I could go on and on with the wonderful ways kids make you feel like a million bucks.

Fifth and final, you start to believe after a few years into motherhood that your body DOES and WILL get back to its old self. AND just when you start thinking this you get a glimpse of your naked self in the mirror (because we all know we actually try to avoid mirrors when naked). Here are the constant reminders that I had kids and that I will never be my former self again: Stretch marks all over the place, flabby skin on my belly, nipples that stick out 10 inches too far, a vagina that seems to be misshaped for better or worse, irregular and HEAVY periods, tons of "re-growth" of hair on my head that makes me think that I am half black, and a mental state that causes me to question if I was ever really a sane person.

Conclusion, babies = body snatchers and you will never be able to escape them or the wreckage they leave behind.

Signed,
Annie