One Annoyed Feminist

I have proudly been a feminist since I first heard the term in my early teens.  That's almost three decades.  I don't have a t-shirt.  It's not how I introduce myself: "Hi, I'm Tara and I am a feminist."  But if someone asks me, I answer in the affirmative.  It just made sense to me that all people, regardless of gender, should be treated equally.  That is pretty much it.  There have been times when I have taken some flack for it until I explain the definition of a feminist.  That person often then reluctantly admits to being a feminist too.  How could one not want us to all be treated equally, all to have the same freedom to choose  the life we want?

This morning, on our way to the hardware store, I was listening to a discussion on the radio about the glass ceiling.  A woman (I could find her name but I can't be bothered) was arguing that those women who choose motherhood, either full-time or part-time with part-time including those women who choose to work fewer hours in order to spend more time with their family, are detrimental to women finding equality in the workplace.  Apparently, choosing motherhood over ambitiously pursuing a career is the easy choice.  Huh, easy choice.  Who knew?  Also, apparently, there is a reason why nannies are paid $15/hour while a lawyer is paid several hundred dollars an hour.  Essentially, motherhood can be outsourced and is a leisurely occupation.  Again, who knew?  (This woman obviously hasn't looked at my kitchen sink but I digress.  Us folks of the leisurely sort tend to digress.  See, it's because of all this free time.)   Finally, those who choose to live life in such a way that makes them happy are simply being complacent, that true fulfillment comes from challenging oneself even if it is "painful" (her word, not mine).  Now that I think about it, parenting really hasn't been that challenging and I hear that the teen years are a breeze.  What about all these years when I have simply wanted my children to be happy?  I should have been trying to force them down a path in life that was not of their own calling.  Or maybe that only pertains to girls and women.

Anyways, I shook my fist at the radio --  I really did.  I learned that move from the boys.  It's not the most mature reaction but it sure does feel good -- and continued with my day.  I am now going to step down from the soap box and go eat a bon bon.  I mean, clean some dishes.   And yes, I am still a feminist, just a slightly more annoyed one at the moment.