This past week much has been discussed and analyzed regarding Hillary Rosen's statement that Anne Rommey has never worked a day of her life. The Colored Man really doesn't understand what all of the fuss is about, and why The White House residents and employees jumped to Mrs. Romney's defense. I know that I am going to upset some of my reader's with the following statement, but this is my blog, so I can write what I want to write.
Hillary Rosen didn't lie, and I will tell you why she didn't lie. In my humble opinion, staying at home and raising kids is not all that hard to do, and I don't think that it really should be equaled with the work that women do outside of the home, and the struggles that many face in trying to juggle career and family. Most of the women that I know who don't work, actually lead quite glamorous lives.....shopping, lunching, volunteering, early morning walks/runs in expensive jogging clothes with babies in even more expensive strollers, play dates, cooking dinner and cleaning house. This is not real work. This is actually trading your services for the security of a house and some spending money, and hoping and praying that your support system doesn't decide to trade you in for a newer, less-saggy model.
Real work consists of receiving a paycheck for working in an office from 9am-5pm, and having to meet deadlines, write reports, conduct meetings, participate in training classes, and deal with people that you don't really give two poops about. Real work requires being able to juggle getting yourself dressed in the morning, as well as the children, feeding them, getting them on the bus, and then getting yourself to the job on time. Real work is having a sick child at home and still having to field calls from work, or finish that report, or having to travel out of town for work while your child has the chicken pox.
If Anne Romney's work is real work, then damn, the Colored Man needs to be re-born as a woman, cause I am tired as hell of having to work. Y'all know I like the glamorous life and with a husband like Mittens who brings in $20 million per year, I could definitely do some cooking, cleaning, and shuttling. Taggart, Matthew, Joshua, Benjamin, and Craig would have each had their own individual nanny, chaffeur, homework helper, and I would have supervised in between my shopping, and horseback riding. Can't you just see me in my manse with the elevators for cars supervising the domestic staff, while making arrangements for Oribe to fly in on the private jet for my daily hair appointment? When people would ask me if I enjoyed being at home all day with my six boys, I would reply, "I don't work, I am doing my life-calling, and it's my passion!"
My mother worked all of her life making the journey from cotton fields to first-grade classrooms, and I think that if she were still living and I asked her if she ever wanted to be a housewife, she would probably look at me like I was crazy. She probably would go on to tell me that I am not sitting at home and waiting for "man-support," when I can go out and earn my own money and do with it as I please. I am quite sure that at some point while talking with my sister, she warned her to never be dependent on a man for survival.
Her attitude is the opinion of most modern women in today's world, who have no desire to harken back to the days of June Cleaver who was always elegantly dressed and coiffed just to cook breakfast and wash dishes. But most women have never had the opportunity to play June, particularly women of color, so I know that this notion of housewifery is completely alien to my black, brown, and yellow sisters. They may dream about it, but I know my fellow colored brothers and we are just not going for that my sisters. If you got 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 eyes, 2 hands, 2 feet....if you got 2 of anything, you need to be bringing some money into the house. Our mothers raised children and worked jobs, you can do the same.
A woman who works and brings in a paycheck is actually setting herself up for security in the future. How many older women are living in poverty because they trusted a man to love and support "'til death do us part." only to be disillusioned when they are served with divorce papers and left with absolutely nothing. They are left with no marketable skills, no education or irrelevant education, and are barely surviving. The choice to stay at home and raise your kids is an individual family choice, but women need to recognize that it comes with potential perils.
The big picture in all of this is the fact that Mitt Romney wishes to cut support programs that will have a drastic and negative impact on women. The picture is much bigger than Ann and her so-called, "work," because she will never, ever have to rely on social programs for survival. It's about women being financially independent, and able to have proper health care, food, and educational opportunities for themselves and their children. Staying at home and raising children and waiting for "man-support" every two weeks, puts you at great risk. Is that a gamble that women should take? I say, NO!!!
Well, it's time for the Colored Man to go. I have some work to do, and I need to do some reading on re-incarnation. Do you think I should come back as a brunette or blonde? I am thinking blonde like Anne Romney, as she seems to live the glamorous life!!!
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