Women just want a little recognition, Jeez.
Observation and analyzing has always been my strong point. As I sat down next to my cousin at my tia’s birthday dinner, I could not help but observe her and her boyfriend’s interaction. I rememeber the waitress bringing everyone their plates, but I noticed something that made me feel so disgusted and belittling as a woman. Even though, this was not happening to me, I was just in shock. When I was looking at my cousin, I saw her boyfriend move her plate and put his plate in front of her. She then with little recogniton and a robotic move, started cutting all of his pasta. My face must have said it all because she looked at me and realized why my face was the way it looked.
She then turned really red, and laughed nervously because she knew what she was doing was wrong and embarrassing. I turned to look at her boyfriend and he was simply laughing at her for cutting his food. He then said with a big smirk on his face, “That’s right, she knows exactly how daddy likes it and if she doesn’t do it, she knows what will happen.” I was waiting for her to say something but she never did, so me being boisterous, I spoke up. I let him know that for being a 33 year old man, he was acting like a child and the way he talked to my cousin was so unnecessary. He obviously did not care, but I learned a valuable lesson that day. She expressed to me later that she felt so little next to him because of the many things she does for him, and while she was cutting his dinner she felt angry.
I learned that women do way too much in this society and are never appreciated or valued like the way men are for the things they do. The birthday dinner made me realize how all women are mainly viewed, as a housewife.
3 to 4 thousand hours consumed of “housework” a year by women is mind boggling. It is sad to know that most women do most of the work. Not only does it include housework, it also includes their regular job if they have one. Women in society and even in the past years have always been tremendously relied on by the male species. It was the way most women were brought up. Being a women means attending to a male at all cost, doesn’t matter the situation or the extensity. However, we do have a choice and should be treated with respect and not dehumanized if we choose not to do this housework or be a housewife. I have talked to many women that tend too say they ask their significant others for help, but usually are stared back with a blank face after asking. The reactions of these men make us realize two questions….
But how many of these men have liberated themselves from the assumption that housework is women’s work”? How many of them would not characterise their housecleaning activities as “helping” their women partners?- Angela Davis
The answers to the questions may vary from men to men, however; it would not hurt if the men would take over such work from time to time. Men shouldn’t feel embarrassed because they have to clean or help their wives. They should feel honored and proud that their wives do so much without hesitation. Some women say if they got paid to do it, they wouldn’t be so dissatisfied or frustrated with such work. Then you have other women that believe regardless if the job is paid or not, it shouldn’t just always be left to the women. I can totally see that second point of view because being a nanny and doing housework everyday makes you realize that even though their is money involved, people are still dehumanizing you. They look at you like you are worthless and sometimes leave you feeling like a slave because of the job you do. You are left with little to say and in the end have to do your work regardless if you don’t agree with a certain situation. I and many women have learned that eventually, by doing all this housework, we as women come out winning. For the simple fact, that when all is said and done, most men cannot keep up even if they wanted too. Since they have relied on us for so long, they have little knowledge of what goes on in a household. Even though the “housework” is not like it used to be, it still exist and hopefully will get better over time.
One day I hope to see women enjoying the sight of a man learning and doing a woman’s job for once without any hesitation or backlash. Therefore, leaving the man to spark more initiative of taking over the role of a housewife.
