rocking horse publishing « Robin Writes

I read an article about feminism and how women of yesteryear were much happier than they are today. I thought the article was funny as heck, but NOT because I fit the definition of a feminist.

I believe that women can do anything men can do.

I do not, however, believe that women can do anything men can and do it better.

It’s a fact that men are physically stronger than women. Often, I think they have, in general, more physical stamina too. Not saying that’s a fact, just a guess on my part—my husband, for example, could run circles around me like the freakin’ Energizer bunny. However, when he crashes, he’s done. Women, I think, even when they’re “done” tend to keep “doing,” at least mentally or emotionally.

Men just turn on the TV.

Take our recent fencing project, for example. Sure, I could have done that by myself, but because of the strength issue, it would have taken me, oh, ten times as long. Probably. Or, just yesterday, hanging heat lamps in the greenhouse—of course I could do that, but he wanted them on the ridgeline and I can’t reach up there without a ladder. I could have laid all the tile in the house, too, but again, I’d be bringing in like one box of tile a day and crying for months while I wore myself out doing it.

You remember the tile posts, right? Ugh.

Over the weekend, he mentioned the upcoming holiday and said, “Oh, we need to pull out the old ATV this week and make sure it runs before the kids come down.” And I responded with, “I’m pulling the Girl Card—put that on your own list.”

We had quite a discussion then. I told him if he wanted me to do the Guy Stuff, no problem, and he could cook and clean. He said no thanks, he’d rather be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner all at one time. And have it be edible.

This isn’t the first Girl Card I’ve used. When we pulled out the old wood furnace, all 500 pounds of it, I helped get it on the dolly and out the door. I was just about ready to get on the tractor so he could load it up to take to the barn and the neighbor showed up.

That was it, I was done. Not because I can’t operate the tractor, but because that darn thing was HEAVY and would still need to be unloaded after it got TO the barn.

The Girl Card can be useful say, when going to Lowe’s. I like the store just fine, and I can look around there for half an hour, maybe. What I canNOT do is stare at a wall of screws or nails for ten minutes, trying to find “the right one.” They mostly all look alike to me. BORING. Pick one, move on.

To be fair, my husband also does this in the grocery store, trying to find the exact product and/or the best “deal.” I walk and grab at the same time.

And it’s not like I leave all the icky or hard stuff for him. I was right there putting fence posts in the ground and screwing in the boards. I haul wood and clear brush and trim trees—what I can reach. Men will go up in the tractor bucket to reach a branch, I so totally will not. Girl Card.

Yes, we may well have a throwback marriage, but that works for us. And people who say women were miserable in the 50s never watched June Cleaver. Okay, okay, I kid. Think of it, though:

A couple gets married. The mister goes to work, 9-5, Monday through Friday, from age 25 to 65. Forty years. The missus cleans and cooks and takes care of the children, but she does this for only twenty years.

Who got the better deal, huh?

And we women, those in the 50s and those who do what we do now, didn’t wait on our husbands because we HAD to, we did it because we WANTED to, but because we love him and want to make his life easier, just as he provides for us for the same reasons.

Kinda like the Church. Exactly like the Church. Christians don’t obey God because they HAVE to, but because they love Him and WANT to.

I’m fully aware that some women want to have careers. Heck, I’ve dabbled in all kinds of business-y stuff over the years. I’m very efficient and organized and had some free time. And I’m aware that some men expect equality in the home and two salaries coming in and some, yes, MUST have both paychecks. If that’s all you’re focusing on here, you’re missing the point.

And honestly, I think a lot of women WOULD be happier doing things like the “old days.” Come on, you can do all that Pinterest stuff and be with your kids and volunteer in the PTA or whatever. You don’t have to climb the corporate ladder and prove yourself to anyone or any ideals.

If you want to be a feminist and holler for “Girl Power” and all that, feel free. I don’t feel like I’m powerless and I don’t feel like I’m less than anyone else, let alone my husband. Yes, I think women should have equal salaries for equal work/pay/experience/competence, etc. No, I don’t think women can BETTER do everything men can do—see the opening fact above. Yes, I think women should vote. Good grief. I know that’s going to come up. Yes, I think women are smart.

Be yourself. Do you. Doesn’t matter what anyone says.

OMG.

I had an entire, lengthy post for today, reasoned, balanced, and yes, a little anger and annoyance thrown in, but I’ve decided to do this instead:

Grow up, special snowflakes!

The world did not end because Trump was elected. Are you not all carrying on today as usual? Did you get up, eat breakfast, go to work? Has a SWAT team broken down your door and dragged you off to a FEMA camp? Yes, I’m aware that I’m mixing up your government buzzwords.

If you are gay, black, Hispanic, do you really think that something horrible is going to happen overnight, now, today, in the next couple months, or even the next four years? Really? Shut down your emotions for a minute and think about this.

How long do the Feds take to pass laws?

How often are those laws actually enforced and to what degree?

How often do adults sit on the floor and cry and carry on like children?

Okay, I did this once when my daughter was four and had a tantrum. I threw myself down on the floor and next to her and kicked and screamed for a few minutes right along with her. She stopped, I stopped, we both felt better.

But this isn’t about your feelings. Special snowflakes are all about feelings. Instead of saying “I feel,” try it out with “I believe.” Do you really BELIEVE that the Feds are coming for you?

If so, do you think sitting on your butt and crying about it is going to make a difference?

Stand up, speak up. Make plans to protect yourself. Then you can sit back and focus on grown-up things, like working for change. Same thing I said during all the Ferguson protests, except I used “violence” instead of “feelings.”

Forget the “safe space” myth. Your safe space is your home, it’s yours, and the rest of world isn’t obligated to make you “feel” anything. That is on you, within you.

Protests will get you nowhere—take action. Protests are like wearing pink to “raise awareness.” Who the hell needs to be made aware??

Whew, now that that’s over, let’s talk about why Trump was elected. Why did people vote for him? Living where I do, I’ve conducted my own “exit poll.” And, as a full disclaimer, I have more friends on social media who are liberal than I do who are conservative.

So again, why did people choose Trump over Clinton?

Some did because, to them, Clinton was no choice at all, for different reasons. And some simply didn’t choose at all.

All of them, yes, DO want to “make America great” again—but it’s probably not what you think. No one wants to roll back to the 1950s in the area of social construct, but they DO want to be Americans and have pride of country; they want to have jobs they can count on with a decent paycheck and access to the boss instead of answering to corporate bullshit; they’re tired of being regulated and taxed to death, and they’re tired of paying for everyone else. They want to feel safe, just like everyone else, but they don’t need a safe space or an offense-free society.

In a nutshell, they feel they can take care of themselves if given the chance to do so without government interference.

Around here, people take care of people. If someone has a disagreement, they move past it, either by discussion or maybe even an all-out fistfight. Feelings are fine, but they aren’t definitive of the person or the situation. If someone is in need, the neighbors pitch in with assistance or food or whatever is needed.

SO MUCH of America now consists of government jobs or the service industry. We don’t create, we don’t make things, and so pride of accomplishment is gone by the wayside. This is what they want to bring back. All of this.

And I’ll say this again: I don’t know a single person who is racist, misogynistic, or xenophobic. Not one. No one voted for Trump because of the negative things he said or did or allegedly did. Maybe elsewhere, but not here, and I’m quite certain there are many, many other places about which you could say the same thing. Are there bad things happening? Yes. And those are the ones that make the headlines.

But mostly, those who voted for Trump are tired of being told what’s “right,” particularly when they disagree with the definition.

They’re tired of being called names, see above, when they haven’t done or said anything to warrant that.

They’re tired of being told they’re wrong all the time, simply because they disagree.

They’re tired of hearing “love and tolerance” preached at them.

They’re tired of being talked down to and told they’re “unevolved” or “archaic” or “less than.”

They’re tired of having their asses jumped because they inadvertently used the wrong word to describe a group a people—not an offensive word, just a word that is no longer in style as per the group being described. As an example, in my lifetime, black people have been referred to as “Negro,” “African-American,” “black,” and now “people of color (POC).”

They’re tired of being told that “cultural appropriation” is wrong, even in the cases of kids’ Halloween costumes.

They’re tired of 18-year-olds needing a “safe space” and emotional support animals, when many 18-year-olds are overseas, in uniform.

They’re tired of protests and riots and they see this as whining and complaining and laziness. And they’re particularly tired of the violence involved in many of these. They believe you should work for change, they know it’s not happening overnight, and they know that yes, sometimes it costs money to implement that change. They see these protests as a way for people to participate—in nothing but a large crowd and perhaps a few moments in the spotlight.

And yes, they’re tired of giving people free rides—this is how they see it: they work 12-14 hours a day, so can others. And this may well circle us right back to the economy, those government jobs that give so many perks and the service jobs that have little pride of work well done.

Think about that: someone is job-hunting and what do they find? They can work in a cubicle, pushing paper, they can ring up folks at a cash register, they can answer incoming calls or make collection calls. Who could get excited about that? Where’s the actual work? And no, I’m not saying these people don’t work, but there’s no end result, no complete product, just endless repetition and more of the same, each day.

Religion plays a part too. These voters are tired of hearing that Christianity doesn’t matter, that those who claim to be Christian continue to pick and choose, switch right to wrong and vice versa. They’re tired of hearing they believe a “myth” and having to kowtow to those of other religions. They’re tired of hearing all religions are the same.

Many of these things have little to do with Trump himself, but have everything to do with change from the last eight years of a Democrat as president.

Remember when Obama was elected? Those who opposed him were called a lot of names then too. Those who were fearful of their lives being turned upside down were mocked and ridiculed.

What I’m seeing is the anger and lack of tolerance being shown, in both situations, by the left. And yes, again, there are factions—the so-called alt-right—that are promoting and promulgating violence and hate. These people likely aren’t fed up, they’re just assholes. We’ve always had them, we always will.

So let’s flip it: why did people NOT vote for Clinton?

Because that promised more of the same as the current administration. All the things people are tired of.

Not because she’s a woman—hell, most of the people I know think a woman could run circles around a man in the White House. Seriously. I

And, you’re going to laugh at this part, but folks around here believe in integrity and the whole FBI investigation mess and the lying—actual or implied—was a big negative. Big enough to outweigh other issues.

Bigly, if you will . . .

I’m going to wrap this up now, but just know that your day-to-day life is not really going to change. Not for a long time, if ever. But you do need to toughen up and cut your fellow Americans some slack.