Time of the Caveman

I hate references to how men and women are different. Most times I believe this to be an excuse why husbands don't do the dishes, don't do the laundry, don't clean toilets. Not my husband of course - while there are "disagreements" on occasion, as a former chair of my college's Women's Equality Group (WEG), my house(I mean our house) presents equal opportunities. Don't get me wrong, we certainly do not have the June and Ward picture (or surprisingly, my father's parents' picture)of standing at the kitchen sink doing the dishes together. My husband and I are more the divide and conquer - types. Why shouldn't he relax while I am giving our son a bath? And why shouldn't I dream in the bathtub with a glass of wine while he is soothing our son during the evening wake-up session?

I do have a confession to make. I refuse to mow the lawn. It was a condition of marriage (I am not joking). It arises from being Daddy's girl and an evening at the dinner table when my mother announced that I was old enough to start mowing the lawn. The next day, I set out to mow the lawn. My father came out to "teach" me. I threw a holy fit claiming I knew what I was doing and just because he was a man did not mean he could do it better than me! That evening at the dinner table my father proclaimed that I was busy enough with school and there was no reason to make me mow the lawn. So, you see, it is my father's fault.

Also, I don't iron. It's not my clothes. My husband usually cooks the meals. He gets home first. He cleans up the mess in the dog run. I am too pretty (and apparently too vain). He changes the light bulbs. It only takes one person. He arranges for car maintenance and repair. I hear service shops are sexist and take advantage of women. Okay, so maybe it is not "equal" in the sense that we are doing the same things, but we both have equal responsibilities - to some extent. And it works - to some extent. I don't care how many different ways he tries to explain why emptying the dishwasher is not his job, primarily because he mows the lawn, lawn mowing is seasonal and dishwasher duties are once, sometimes twice a day! Did I mention he currently is out playing poker and I am home with our son? I better find something to do tomorrow night . . .