Back to the grind August 5, 2008
Posted by spacemom in : Current Affairs , trackbackI am back. It was a great weekend. Crazy H didn’t show (a whole other story), but we had lots of fun with those who did come.
I have a busy week at work, but that is good.
I have been wondering about Americans and their work ethic. As an American, do you feel that you NEED a job out of the house to identify with? Is being a parent enough? Or does that limit who you are as a person? And what about people who never had "jobs" in the past. I am thinking of Little House on the Prairie past, where the family all had jobs to make the farm work to make life continue on.
What do you think?
Comments»
Glad you had a good weekend…ours was, well, not what I had planned. Good thing you decided to not join us
My current job is not one I chose; I was asked to come help in the family business when my dad had some health issues five years ago. My mom needed my help and I feel as though I have an obligation to help my family when called upon. Little did I know, those words would one day haunt me. However, before I became a fancy title toting gal, I had a career, but I certainly wouldn’t say it defined me. My degree is criminal justice with a minor in sociology. I’ve never done a thing with it. I’ve been an analyst, corporate trainer, retail manager and now general manager. If our financial situation was different, being a parent may be enough, but I’d have to say that it would not be as fulfilling to me as I would hope. Now, that can spark sooo many different fires along the SAHM/working mom groups, but it’s true. I enjoy being out in the world of grown-ups and I love being a mom. For me, being away from Olivia makes me a better mom. I don’t think I have the angst that some other moms have from being around kids 24/7. That being said, as soon as my pay grade opens up as a SAHM, I’m all over it. By that time, she’ll be in school and I’ll still have mornings to watch The View and eat Bon-Bons.
I read www.thepioneerwoman.com. She was a fru-fru gal turned cattle rancher’s wife. She married someone who has never known anything other than that way of life and she’s grown to love it. It even made me ask Will why he never chose to be a cowboy. After all, he’s from Oklahoma. Isn’t that what Oklahomans do? Obviously not, but still…I could have been married to a cowboy. I digress…..
It’s an interesting question you raise and I’m looking forward to your follow up post. There is one, isn’t there?
Whooie - is this ever a good topic! (Found you through Soper).
I did the whole high-power thing, then got laid off post-9/11 (so much for power!). Made a complete career change then, and slowed things down substantially. I found my second career less fulfilling financially, but way more so from a sense-of-self, creativity and helping-others perspective. Then I went and got married and a few years later adopted a terrific little boy - age 1 when he joined us. I stayed at home for about 4-5 months, but honestly found it:
1) isolating
2) frustrating
3) mind-numbingly dull at times (ouch - don’t hit me now!)
So I went back to work part time at my second-career place. Little Man is in a great day-care setting while I’m at work, so we both get something good out of the time apart. He gets focus from people with actual training in early childhood development (meaning they do stuff I wouldn’t have ever thought of) and I get time when I feel in control, as opposed to floundering around trying to find all the answers on my own.
It’s a win-win-win (hubbie doesn’t get the full brunt of my need for adult human interaction when he gets home!).