Writing Wednesday: Am I a feminist?

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There are a few words and phrases in the American vernacular of which I am immediately skeptical, and feminism is one of them. I am a working mother who used to feel like the odd-[wo]man-out at my old church, surrounded by SAHMs — most of whom also home-schooled. I felt like my life was under a microscope. They never came right out and challenged me about my choice (obligation, need, whatev) to work outside the home, and to their credit, they were delightful ladies, so perhaps the pressure was self-imposed. At any rate, I never really felt like I fit in.

I took the minimum 6 weeks off with each of my childbirths, for the sole reason that I did not have enough vacation time accumulated to take more. In two of the three cases, I took leave without pay just to make it 6 weeks. So, other than brief maternity leave, I’ve never known what it is like to be a SAHM.

Am I a feminist because I work outside the home? I’m not sure about the answer to that. Actually, I’ve always assumed that I was not a feminist because of two main reasons: a) I am opposed to abortion, and b) I support women who elect not to work outside the home (provided it is their choice to do so and not imposed upon them). Regardless of whether the woman works a regular job or not, however, I do believe that men should be household helpers and know how to (and be actively willing to) change a diaper and cook a meal. Am I a feminist because I believe that men should pull their weight around the house? Perhaps, but I don’t know.

So, in an effort to challenge myself and broaden my perspective, I’m planning to write one of my term papers on the feminist ideology. There are no shortages of articles on the topic, so I’m going to look at feminism from the lens of Thomas L. Friedman’s “flat world” model. The World is Flat addresses the rapid technological changes that are “flattening” the globe, in a virtual sense.

I have only a vague outline right now, but I’m thinking of three sections:

  1. Women as breadwinners (how globalization is opening doors to women in poverty)
  2. Women as global leaders (exploring technology and political involvement)
  3. Women as change agents (looking at human rights, social justice, etc.)

We’ll see where it goes from there, but that’s my starting point. I’ll be sure to write another post when I figure out whether or not I’m a feminist. 😉

Solitude

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I have had the privilege of working with some terrific people over the years. (I’ve also had the dubious honor of working with some challenging people, but we’ll call those character-building opportunities.) I’ve made some mistakes as a supervisor, and I’d call out any manager who said they hadn’t as a liar. There were times when I was too lenient and times when I should have delegated more. All in all, though, I would like to think that I’ve invested in people’s lives in a positive way that has helped them take further steps in their careers.

Rapport is an important element in my work ethic, both as a supervisor and as an employee. What that means to me as a manger is that it’s important to be reachable, build trust and know your team on a personal level. Does that mean that you have to be buddy-buddy? No, but it does mean that you should know their birthdays, their kids’ names and when someone’s mother is in the hospital.

I’m feeling a bit melancholy today, because my current team has dissolved. The four of us are all still working in the same division, but the three folks who reported to me have been re-purposed into other positions. The last one is moving out (literally, to another office) today. It’s going to be very quiet around here.

On the bright side, I suppose I could crank up some music and not worry about disturbing anyone. 😉  I have to smile or else be sad.

Monday Musings: Football!

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It’s football season!
Love cheering on my Bears, but …
more fun when they win!

I gave the boys a treat by ordering pizza delivered to the house this weekend (Ah, the little things that get kids excited! LOL) while we watched the Baylor/Kansas State Big 12 opener. The game was not LOL … it was boohoo. We cheered our hearts out, though! We screamed and jumped up and down in the living room when Kendall Wright caught that un-freaking-believable touchdown pass, and we wanted to cry when the better-than-his-video-game-self Robert Griffin III (who had more touchdowns than incompletions and is a contender for the Heisman!!) threw his very first intercepted pass of the season, which gave K-State the ball and ended our hopes of winning the game. RG3 was being tackled when he threw the ball, which knocked his arm askew, but alas, it was still intercepted, and we still lost by one point.

All that is to say, it was still a fun time of memory-making and merry-making as we splurged by eating in the living room and enjoyed watching the game together.

Budding entrepreneurs

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Not too long ago, No. 2 brought his own money to the grocery store and wanted to buy a pack of gum. He asked if it would be ok if he bought extra and sold pieces to his brothers, and at the time, I just shrugged and said, “Ok, if you think they’ll buy it, but don’t be upset if they don’t.” Well, I’ll be darned … that kid made a killin’ selling pieces of gum for 25¢ apiece! (Someone has learned the value of wholesale vs. resale.)

My lil' 2nd grade entrepreneur

With his big brother’s success fresh on his mind, No. 3 announced that he was selling his silly band collection (molded rubber bands that kids wear as bracelets; they come in myriad shapes, colors and brands). He even made a sign to hawk his wares.

After the sale, he shook his piggy bank to show me how much money he made from his four brothers. It sounded like a lot, but I don’t think he bothered counting it. Not bad for a 2nd grader! 😉

Today, it’s rubber band bracelets. Ten years from now, it might be tutoring or lawn care. Twenty years from now, it might be his own business!