2.16.2006

Confessions of an Independent Woman

I swear...it really isnt all its cracked up to be.

This whole, I'm a woman, independent mantra that we as black women have been indellibly marked with is really not fun sometimes. Yeah, its cool that I dont NEED a man, but I definitely can relate to some women who believe they do.

Case in point: toilets. I have had more run-ins with a plunger in the last 6 weeks than I have had in the last almost 24 years! I went from not even owning a plunger, to not knowing how to use a plunger, to using one quite frequently. Yes, there is a sense of accomplishment in being able to say "I can plunge my own toilet when the need arises," but I experience the same level (if not a higher level) of positve affect by being able to simply ask William to handle it.

Now that I mention it, I dont think that wanting a man to do things for me (we'll table the full blown discussion of chilvalry for some other time) undercuts my independence. If anything I think it makes me resouceful. Yeah...resourceful! One of the laws of Girl Scouting encourages us to "use resouces wisely" (and running the risk of sounding chauvanistic), when men are conceptualized as resources, I'm just using what I'm given wisely.

I like thinking of it that way. Glad I wrote it down :)

I can still be my fabulous self-sufficient, open to discovery, and willing to try new things and develop new skills self, AND realize that sometimes it may be more desirable (and less gross) to outsource.

#1 on that list of times: Toilets.

xoxox

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Every time that I have to get my car serviced I feel the exact same way...Its not that i want someone else to pay for it or even that I'm not skilled enough to handle the task i just would prefer to turn it over to someone testosterone laden....if thats wrong then i'll just continue on the wrong path....The modern day woman is caught in a web between what she wants and what she should want and trying to balance a facade of independence and the ability to yield to make a relationship work...it is in essence a full time job just toting some ovaries...

Patti said...

I totally concur.