... in response to The sad part is..., posted by shadow on Jan 22, 2001This is Don V.
I believe that the American woman, overall, does not know WHAT her place in life is anymore. She has had her head filled with nonsense since she started school and it only gets worse in college. Nothing wrong with a woman becoming president of the USA or head of IBM, or being a stay-at-home wife and mother.
Men don't seem to be pushing roles on other men, this appears to be a province of the uterus. If a man wishes to make the military a career, or be a stay at home husband, other men don't fuss over it and tell him he is either abused and repressed or else having a bull-dyke fantasy. It appears women don't really like other women very much, as a general rule. Sure, they have girlfriends, but they are always willing to get their claws out for no real reason. Men on the other hand, can have friends that completely transcend the need to speak at all.
Both my daughters are college educated. One worked a little on the side to keep her knowledge current in case something dreadful happens and she has to be the breadwinner. That did happen when her husband died. The other is the full-bore work first and get her career established before she marries and has kids. Both are happy, but the career girl used to chide her sister, especially when she ran with a very liberal crowd of NOW-ers. Her sister very bluntly told her to live her life as she chooses and to leave her alone. As the younger has matured she has gotten much better about this. But it got pretty nasty once or twice.
Now my brother and I are the opposite. I was a career military man and he wasn't. Neither of us chided the other. He didn't tell me I had a Rambo fixation and I didn't call him a unionized ant. I fact we get along remarkably well.
A little joke will illustrate the situation. A man walks in to a club. He is a mature man, a man of means. Tall, trim, tanned with silver hair. On his arm is a knockout of about 30 with a dress slit up and down, with a Barbie-doll figure, corn silk hair, jade green eyes and cheek bones from a magazine. Men, when noticing this couple think to themselves "Yes! Go for it my brother! You've made it. Do her once for me." Women looking at this couple think "B*tch."
Personally, so long as both my girls are happy, I could care less what path they choose. Motherhood, career, or a combination. If they run for president I'll vote for them. If they win a Nobel Prize I'll keep a picture of it over my mantle. If one or the other just raises healthy, happy, children to be useful and happy members of society, I will be just as proud. Raising kids up to be good citizens isn't easy, and mothers who stay at home and accept full responsibility for the rearing of their children are brave indeed. But I don't think other women should try to choose their path for them, or belittle them for the path they choose. It seems those who try to do so are rather insecure in their own lifestyle and intolerant of other's wishes. If my younger daughter should decide to marry an older man I will bless their union. If my elder daughter (widowed) decides on a older man, or either on a younger man, I will bless the union. Human happiness is in short supply and I will certainly not try to deny my own flesh their shot at achieving it. Race of their men is of no interest to me, age is of no interest. If I have not raised my daughters to make good decisions about people, it is too late now. I am sure they will choose a mate carefully to suit themselves. So long as their mate is a good man and a good husband/father, the exteriors do not matter.
Don V
