WW

It's sad when moving between I-pad, I-phone and laptop, that I somehow forget and think that my laptop has become a touchscreen device. Oh how quickly one gets spoiled by immediate satisfaction...

Tonight I find myself banished to my bedroom to avoid the men invading my house for the NFL draft fantasy league enjoying some much needed downtime this evening. Although, I'm not really "down", I suppose. I'm catching up on texts, Netflix and blogging. Even with all this technology, I can still hear the manly banter overflowing up the stairs. And dare I admit? I actually like it. 

I enjoy having a house full of people and cooking/making snacks for them (but don't tell my husband that - aw, hell he already knows). But the fact is, I like entertaining. I like people enjoying my hospitality and making them feel welcome. I'm a closet case wanna-be Martha Stewart (okay, the version of her that doesn't go to jail and has better hair). Of course, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with like, 50+ left over cocktail meatballs after tonight, but that's a story for a different day. Now the leftover beer bread (damn carbs) I'd have no problem polishing off all by myself - but I digress.

Women do a lot of thankless things and far more of them in a day then men do. Now this is not to say my hubby doesn't thank me - he just thanked and called me Wonder Woman today so this isn't a "my husband done me wrong" post. I'm just thinking about life and the gender roles in general. And I'm not even arguing that they're wrong. I'm just comparing.  

Today, I got up, showered, took care of the dog I'm dog sitting, grabbed breakfast, dropped off dry cleaning, got gas and went to work. My husband got up and went to work. I left work, grabbed groceries, baked bread, made fresh guacamole, prepped snacks, vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom, kitchen and dining room, took care of the dog I'm dog-sitting, volunteered at the kids' school, took care of the dog I'm dog-sitting, came home and chatted with the men. My husband arrived home, changed clothes, and connected to the internet waiting for his friends to come over. While perhaps not the same items day to day, I see this type of "task disparity" as a reoccurring theme. And not just for me.

So do men not take on more tasks because they simply can't multi-task, or do they just not care about the details? Or, have they learned they simply don't have to deal with the mundane, day to day tasks because their woman will? I don't know the answer to those questions but I do believe in general, that men are the simpler (and probably the more happier) of the sexes. Men don't (tend to) complicate things with over thinking or over tasking themselves. A lesson most women, including this one, could do well to learn. But, even with that said, taking on less would actually leave me feeling a bit unfulfilled. I like being able to cross things off the task list and take a certain sense of accomplishment and pride in doing so. 

So here I am, debating (if even with just myself) why do women feel compelled to take on so much more than a man/most men? Control? Of course I like things a certain way, but as mentioned in my last post, there is no such thing as control. Just the illusion of it. So what gives? Again, another answer I don't know. I just know that in a day, if 100 things need to get done, I'm part of the team that has to help them get accomplished. If I take on the majority, I see that as strength and power. I see that as being "Wonder Woman" and that's a title I don't mind. I'd just like to be able to take a nap now and again.