cartoon – pen & watercolour 9″ x 12″
Artwork & content Copyright Jean Burman 2008
Okay… I needed a spiel to put with the cartoon… so here goes.
It was something said over on John’s blog the other day which tripped this off.
Ellie commented and I quote:
“Real work” is a stay-at-home mom raising children. No pay…hardly any respect, but molding the lives of those who will determine our future.
My reply was predictable given my passion for the subject:
here here Ellie. Odd isn’t it? That the most important occupation on the planet receives the least attention and respect.
The Govt. here pays for childcare so both parents can go out to “work”. It doesn’t make sense. Why not pay the mother to do the job… after all she is best equipped to look after her own children. But what woman wants to live at the bottom of the food chain?
It’s time for a change of attitude… the future depends on it.
To which Lee replied:
Jean, Ellie, in my opinion the housewife and mother is the unsung hero of this nation. Strange to say that if there is no cash rewards, the job is not honored. Very mixed up world that we live in nowadays.
It occurred to me then… that this was not only a subject I felt passionate about. It was in all likelihood… a subject that lots of people felt passionate about! And especially those who have been through it. Motherhood that is. And the stay-at-home kind of motherhood… in particular.
It has always puzzled me… how a “valid” occupation… one that requires such a great deal of self sacrifice… (but which also “sets a person up” for success in so many different spheres of life)… can be so looked down upon and disregarded by society as a whole.
The brief for the job afterall… is extensive and exhaustive.
Applicants must be on call 24 hours per day 7 days per week 52 weeks per year for the term of one’s natural life (!)
The pay is lousy… (save for those priceless snuggles and adoringly cute little smiles)
Furthermore… in alphabetical order… applicants must be proficient in
(although one does have a lifetime in which to hone these skills… by the end of such time… one will be expected to have achieved excellence)
accounting/ bookkeeping and animal husbandry: breastfeeding/ burping and Bpay: cooking/ cleaning/ counselling and costume design: dress making and driving instruction: environmental management and the emptying of lunchboxes:
firefighting (the ability to “extinguish” between real and metaphorical in this area will be viewed favourably) garbage collection: hairdressing and homework administration: hostel management and homeopathy: isolation therapy and ironing: journalism and jury duty:
kitchen duties (including the ability to mindfully study the dynamic of the humble plughole – sometimes for hours on end – in the event of the dishwasher failing to work): laundry work and lecturing: market research/ maintenance and mathematics: naturopathy/ nannying and
nuclear medicine (essential for those somewhat curly 3rd grade science projects): pharmacology/ picture framing/ petrol pumping and plumbing: quarantining: recycling/ re-roofing/ re-tailing/ re-turning/ re-routing/ re-placing/ and let’s not forget “refusing” (and any number of other skills… too many to list… beginning with “re”…
which of course implies correctly that whatever the skill was in the first place… it must be done a-g-a-i-n) ~sigh~ and *wink*
in addition to (hah… thought I was done didn’t you?)
sewing/singing/ sports coaching/ stockbroking/ street cleaning/ speech therapy and surgery: taxi driving/telephony/anything to do with the theatre and toxicology: video production/vehicle maintenance and veterinary nursing: waitressing/web design/waste water recycling and window cleaning/and last but not least on the list…
zookeeping… which believe it or not is a pre-requisite skill for keeping the household in order… each in his or her own place… and at the feedbox at the appropriate time!
image – courtesy of lomokev Flickr
With all these skills clearly in abundance in the everyday stay-at-home Mum… can somebody please tell me why then… when mothers decide to re-enter paid employment they are so often [condescendingly] advised to re-skill? Re-skill? Re-skill for what? Having spent any number of years between 1 and 20… multi-tasking jobs at a rate their opposite gender counterparts could only ever dream about… who needs to re-skill?
Mothers are not only the Salt of the Earth…
they are the Spice of Life!
They are what makes the world go round!
Mothers should be placed up ON a pedestal… (not positioned in front of one with a brush!) *wink*
They are the people who are responsible for raising the people of the future. Their contribution must be valued.
And women need to cut each other some slack here too! Women should not be made to feel inferior and small for choosing to stay at home to do the very real work of rearing the family… and they must not be “guilted” into a return to paid work… (or a career)… in order to win society’s regard. [That's not to say that those who do choose to (or must) return to paid work should not be respected and supported in their decision to do so]
Motherhood… in all it’s modern day variations and forms… is still a hallowed institution… worthy of courtesy and deep respect.
So as the world hangs in the balance “awaiting the pendulum swing” that will see Mothers the world over treated with the equal respect they deserve… the future of human civilisation continues to depend upon them. Therefore it may not be too far fetched to suggest that the successful outcomes for generations to come… may hinge upon a Mother’s success at doing her job… (learning and adapting as she goes)… and doing it exceedingly well.
And as blind freddy can plainly see… that’s a rather BIG job in any man’s language! (chuckles)
“All that I am or hope to be… I owe to my Mother” – Abraham Lincoln
{ 1 trackback }
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jean…a brief comment from me here (am on “borrowed time”!!) I have been a “working” stay at home Mum for nearly 17 yrs and have been the only parent. I worked casual, part time or seasonal so that it would be me who took my girls to school, me who picked them up, me who helped them with homework, playground politics, cuts and bruises and boyfriend strife! I managed to pay all the bills as well as being there for my girls..I now have a brilliant relationship with my Em..I know her and understand her, we are more best friends than mother and daughter (although I do still lose the plot when she cannot clean up her room !!Lol)My mother started work the day I started school. I now undertstand why we had such a communication breakdown. We did not know each other because she was never there. It has only been during the time she has become a Grandmother to my girls that we now have a close relationship…we actaully now know each other! I used to do battle with certain girlfriends over my choice to not work full time. Some accused me of not being a good mother because I was not providing(???????) My retort was..”but I am providing – I am providng love, security and awareness!”
BINGO Jools! THANK YOU!
(it’s good to see you btw!)
Afterthought:
If motherhood was held in higher esteem in our society… I feel sure many more mothers would choose to make it their career. Afterall… it’s only for a few short years… but those years mean so much. It would be even better if those years were subsidised by the Government (instead of childcare) allowing mothers to make a “real” choice. Like you discovered Jools… (and me too)… giving those years to our kids can pay substantial dividends in terms of closer better relationships and understanding. My kids still thank me… (which is rather insightful on their part LOL). And I’m now busy… head down tail up… catching up with what I apparently missed out on… (but armed with a whole lot more knowledge wisdom and experience than I would have otherwise had!) *wink* Like a lot of things in life… there’s always a flip side to the down side! LOL
Jean I LOVE the postcard and I agree that mothering is a job of high esteem.
My view is that we need to celebrate parents and reward them for all that they do well – in doing this, we keep our kids safer and create a sustainable future.
Am, I able to copy your card – with full credit to you? I particularly love it and it fits in well with the child safety platform that I blog to.
YES ! I agreewith all you say. I had a career until I said I was being married. NO married women allowed and that was 1960 so well on from men homecoming from the war and needing jobs back . This suited me as I wanted a family and proceeded to learn all the skills needed that I was not yet proficient in. years later (at least sixteen ) I returned to work again the only woman in the drawing office .THIS time I took no prisoners .
Now 20 years into retiral (on my husbands terms) I have come across another
put down “Teaching yer grannie tae suck eggs ” Visitors talk down to me as if I have never ever had an experiance of any worth .I might add that the proffessionals don’t fall into that trap . I have been guided on where to site my vases of flowers duh? Areas in the home that could be better designed (I did that to suit ME )
Then a visit from a neighbour who brings her craft work to show what I could be doing ……..yeaterday she left with special items that she can no longer buy but I had had for years. Did she realise I had used them ? don’t think so.
no 1 Son even explained to his dad (a proffessional) a technical term .We waited till he had gone before howling with laughter I won’t go on . I do enjoy a good rant now grin
GREAT cartoon as usual will you publish and can I have a signed copy ?
Hi Megan! Thanks for stopping by! I’m so pleased you like the cartoon. I’ll email you separately to discuss terms of use for the image
Elinor… somehow I knew you would understand! LOL
“Teaching yer grannie how to suck eggs” is another great topic! I wonder how it can be that we (supposedly) lose all knowledge wisdom and insight as we get older? Don’t quite get that rationale! LOL
QUOTE: GREAT cartoon as usual will you publish and can I have a signed copy ? UNQUOTE
Yes… absolutely Elinor! Will keep you posted when…
“Here-Here” is an understatement. Jean, you’ve written another good one. As the mother of two and stepmother of two others, I can back up everything you have written. I was a stay-at-home mom (mum) until my kids went to school; then I took a part-time job. As time went on and the kids left home, I worked more and more until finally after their high-school graduation, I took time for myself to study architecture. The rest is history. None of it was easy, but the very hardest and I think the very most important was the time spent at home with my children.
I have recently been wondering why we are suddenly seeing a generation of young adults who don’t want to work. Perhaps it is because as young children they saw mom (mum) working too much, generically speaking of course, and were not held to their childhood chores. Who knows?
As I find most of your writings, this essay is good. Why, it’s more than good. It’s excellent! I predict that your blog is going to get lots more hits on this particular entry. I will be doing my part to share the link. I also predict you will be going to high places with your writings.
Good job! Excellent!
P.S. In my last paragraph above, edit “most” to “all” of your writings …
Thanks Vernita… your positive endorsement is very much appreciated!
Motherhood is one of those universal themes. The experience of motherhood transcends the boundaries of race religion culture or creed. We have so much in common! We may do things a little differently depending on location culture and circumstance… but in my view… it is one of the purest professions on the planet… having at it’s core the selfless (instinctive) desire to nurture and grow another human being. Some cultures nurture the nurturer better than others. In the west we seem to have lost sight of a mother’s vital contribution. Hopefully the pendulum will swing… but it may need a little nudge to get it started! LOL
Vernita QUOTE I have recently been wondering why we are suddenly seeing a generation of young adults who don’t want to work. Perhaps it is because as young children they saw mom (mum) working too much, generically speaking of course, and were not held to their childhood chores. Who knows? UNQUOTE
Nita… you’re more than probably right there! And maybe too… because money and material goods have been used to (over) compensate for parental absence? Not saying it is so… just putting the idea out there to ponder!
Thinking on about this topic ,I remember when our first grandson was born my son and I had a coversation like ” Mum I am going to be a house husband as my wifecan earn more than I can ” Here mother blew her top “There goes your degree/job etc after ALL the cash we spent getting you here ” “Ah but my wife’s parents did the same ” ” She is certainly an educated lady with I first classical degree BUT YOU have a career path and if you step off that ladder you will NEVER step back on ”
Now they compromise and she turns her hands to many things whilst bringing up two exceptional lads . Son is almost top of his field and now tearing his hair out with stress ……..Eldest is studying law and I wonder would grannie say the same to-day >
Ahhhh…all these affirming words are a balm to my weary, guilt-ridden soul! I LOVE being an at home mom! The relationships I have with my sons I wouldn’t trade for anything! They are teenagers…and they TALK to me! Share their feelings…open up interesting philosophical discussions and tell the funniest jokes. So many times I hear employed, (note…I don’t refer to them as “working” for what mom doesn’t “work”?!) moms complain about lack of communication between them and their adolescent progeny. They blame it on teenage obsitnance, the desire to be independent and, of course, hormones. Did it ever occur to them that perhaps parental communication and guidance doesn’t stop when they reach high school? That to not have their mom around when they come home from school diminishes the opportunity to check in with one another….that it even severs important emotional links to their relationships? I think teenagers need their moms, (and dads) just as much as the littler ones. It’s such an impressionable age…and a fascinating one at that. Who would want to miss out on this journey to the workings of a teenager’s thoughts?! And what a wonderful thing to be invited in to consider, influence and share the more complex thinking of a young adult…It’s a treasure indeed. But it’s a treasure that one works for. One does have to invest time and presence to acquire it. I am such a lucky mother!
And Jean…forgive me for not being around lately. I loved your last post as well…just wasn’t there to contribute, (and one of my favorite topics too!). Your cartoons and writings are brilliant!
Elinor’s QUOTE “I wonder would grannie say the same to-day ” UNQUOTE
Great question E…
I think many people these days do as your son and daughter-in-law have done… and strive to find the common ground that hopefully works for everyone. Often it comes down to a financial decision as to who has the greater earning potential. Sad for mum… and sad for bubs too though… when it happens too early in life. I’m not saying what’s right or wrong. I guess what I am saying is that women should at least have the choice. If we take “the need for money” and the “social stigma” of stay-at-home motherhood out of the equation… more women might just choose it.
I suspect that technology and the internet is going to remove some of the problem for us in the future anyway… with more and more Mums AND Dads opting to work from home. Great news for kids I think! LOL
Thanks Mary!
I agree with EVERYTHING you’ve said! We are presently experiencing a new and unique phenomenon here in Australia where youth are getting together in their 100s and sometimes 1000s at a moment’s notice (courtesy of mobile phone technology) for wild out of control alcohol and drug fuelled parties. Parents are often absent from the equation… both working to pay the bills… and the kids are running amuk unsupervised. Worse yet… some of the parties and “get togethers” ARE parentally supervised… which raises the question of quality parenting… when children are not only “allowed” to do this… but supplied with the alcohol to do it! It’s a mad world. Parents… working to appease their conscience and please the kids with money and material goods… need to learn the “no” word. But I fear it may be too late for that.
Great topic and great cartoon, Jean.
I too, truly believe mothers are needed at home when the children are young. I was a stay at home mother for many years and my grown sons still confide and consult with me and it all started when I was there for them when they were young.
I felt strongy about this because my mother went back to work during WWII (she was a nurse) and nurses were badly needed at that time because so many went off to war leaving a great need in our hospitals here. I went home after school to no one there and I did not want that for my children. Mother had sitters for us, but it was not the same.
My mother and I never got along until she and my father, in their later years became ill and I moved in with them to take care of them. Since she often worked shift work, it was my father that was always there for me and my sister. He cooked, cleaned and helped us with our homework. He was wonderful and I adored him. He took us shopping, swimming, hiking and listened to all of our problems and gave us good sound advice. We were very lucky to have such a well educated, dedicated father.
Elinor…I so wish that someone had taught me “how to”. My Grandmother did spend alot of time with me and taught me how to knit (good heavens…don’t ask me now!!!) But I have always admired the handy work of handmade items that are rarely seen now. These items (such as blankets, jumpers, doilies, scarves, socks and hats) last the test of time so much better than the “modern” equivalent!! I have treasured any handmade item that I have! There is also the issue of cooking and cleaning. I see so many “kids” who have no idea how to sustain themselves in the “big wide world” on a most basic level..its scarey! Although I had to teach myself and “find a way” myself (as many people do) It is still a shock to see just how well many young people leaving home have no idea!!! As a mother ..I plan to teach my girls how important it is to have self respect (as well as respect for others and their belongings), how to care for themselves (personal hygiene!!)..AND – how to garden!!!
Katherine – your father was indeed a wonderful man!
PS..thanks Jean!!! Its “good to be seen”!!!
Thanks so much Katherine!
How wonderful to have such a loving and dedicated Dad! I too was fortunate in having a very special Dad in my life from an early age. When I think back on it now… I realise how very special he was considering the times. While Mum was the mover and shaker of the family and had the last word on pretty much everything… Dad was always there to take up the slack… no job too small (or large)… nothing too much trouble… especially when it came to us kids! He never spoiled us… but we always had the sense that he was there for us no matter what. That’s a wonderful feeling for any child. Mum and Dad always ran their own business and I remember “coming home to nobody home” at different times… but with the flexibility of self employment… we weren’t exactly latchkey kids either.
JOOLS QUOTE: I see so many “kids” who have no idea how to sustain themselves in the “big wide world” on a most basic level..its scarey! UNQUOTE
That IS scarey! And what’s even scarier… I don’t know what we can do about it! Except to insist that kids clean up after themselves and contribute to the running of the household. That’s easier said than done though… and nigh on impossible given the unique time constraints faced by full time working mothers… who could be tempted to cave in and do the job themselves rather than keep chasing the kids up to do it. It may be the line of least resistance… but I think there wouldn’t be a mum on the planet who hasn’t been down that track! LOL Oh… it’s a slippery slope we mothers negotiate! (((chuckles)))
And even when we teach them the right thing to do… there is then no guarantee they will do it. My kids now live away… but promise me they are never so messy as when they are staying at home… I wonder if that has anything to do with ME being there?! *wink* (((giggles)))
Once upon a time I thought I had the answer….everything left on the floor or kicked under the bed was put in the rubbish bin . Did the boys complain ? NO it was dad
Thats anew cricket bat and thats not rubbish I don’t think he savvyied the idea at all.
hahaha… yep… tried that! Again… more work for Mum unloading the stuff back out of the bin when nobody else seemed to notice! LOL You’re lucky Elinor that Carson was astute enough to spot those errant items… at least he was paying attention… even if the strategy didn’t altogether work! (((LOL)))
Hmm…If I find something where it shouldn’t be, (backpacks on the floor in my kitchen, unemptied jeans pockets in the dirty laundry, etc.) I make my kids BUY back the items they’ve lost to the confiscation closet. They don’t have to pay in cash…an extra task or meal or back rub might be sufficient….but they DO have to pay! They cry cruelty…but of course it would hurt them more if I enabled their bad habits. Of course, I too give in now and again…Sometimes it’s so much easier to do things myself rather than teaching the boys life skills, (they know this and take advantage of my weak-willed days…sigh…)
What a fabulous idea Mary!! I like it!!! My usual form of “punishment” is… No computer for 16 yr old and no bike riding for 6 yr old. This does work for a short period of time and then it starts all over again! I too am a victim of deep sighing and doing the task myself…which then makes me feel totally powerless Lol!! 16 yr old does it get it pretty easy when it comes to the household chores as she is studying for her final year at school and she is working part time…so, we usually come up with a mutually satisfying compromise – “if I do this for you..you have to do that for me!” That is quite often more effective than anything else!
After my father passed away and my mother was sorting out his belongings…she found something like 13 pairs of shoes under his bed!!! Lol! Dad could never resist a bargain – he felt that he was saving money by buying anything that was on sale…even if he never used it!! And as for his gardening shed…there were tools in there that I could have donated to a museum!!! Lol! I kept some of them and have them with me just for the sake of keeping them. I feel like he is still around.
Hi Mary. Yep.. the fine system does work. I even went through a phase of having an incentive chart stuck on the fridge where the kids got so many brownie points (with rewards attached) against their name for each task they completed. This mostly entailed looking after their own stuff… picking up… putting out lunchboxes and tidying their rooms. Sometimes it actually worked! LOL The heavy duty stuff I saw as my task. I think I inherited that from my mother who always said she never want to make slaves of her children… (she came from a large family – not unlike many back in the day – where each one was given a major household task as their responsibility… eg. boiling clothes and bed sheets and hauling the bedding out into the sun on Monday, ironing on Tuesday, scrubbing the floors Wednesday… etc) My grandmothers only tasks were the cooking and the sewing. She sewed clothes for the whole family. By the end of the week the household was all in order with everything done… and my grandma would retire to her room with a box of chocolates! She really had it sorted! *sigh* those were the days… before washing machines and dishwashers came along and made Mother’s lives a piece of cake! huh!! (((chuckles)))
Jools… fancy that… your Dad was a shoe collector! More than certainly a man ahead of his time! The tools I can really relate to. We had a difficult job deciding what to do with Dad’s extensive tool collection when we were tidying up the beach house. As was his nature… it was all in perfect order… some of it more than 50 years old and some of it obsolete. We kept a couple but gave the rest away to someone who could hopefully use them. I miss my Dad too… Dad’s are special
My daughter works and her house was a terrible mess. I remembered thatwhen she and her brother were at home my wife had a cleaning lady once a week and that day everything had to be picked up. So I bought my daughter a half day of cleaning once a week and it worked. Once a week her house is fairly neat. lol
(((chuckles)))… that’s sooo funny Roger! I’m sure she’s very grateful that at least one day each week peace and order reign supreme! LOL (you’re a very thoughtful Dad!)
Well done Roger!! You get my vote for that too!!!
Thanks for the vote of confidance Jools! I wish I could say I uphold all my disciplinary rules…but…I’m also quite the pushover so my boys get away with LOTS! Your dad sounds like he was a kick. It’s so hard to lose a parent…even as adults…there’s this feeling of something lacking…an irreparable hole in the heart, (as I’m sure Jean too, has experienced with the fairly recent loss of her mother) My dad is still living and his fetish is BOOKS. He has hundreds of books…many that he’s never read! He doesn’t buy books online because he loves the bookstore experience…the cracking open of fresh pages of history, politics, etc. I have to admit…I’m a little that way too. (Inherited genes are difficult to combat!)
Jean…can you imagine living in our grandparent’s day an age?! I think I would just simply give up the ghost. For I am a dreamer and I don’t think there was any time to dream back then…all work! (However…the air might have been a little clearer, and the water not so brackish…there would be a payoff…) I know that my grandfather, (on my father’s side) would be frustrated living in this throw-away day and age. He could take scrap machinery parts salvaged from various places and build working devices anew. Nowadays you can’t even dismantle a machine for everything has been welded shut or encased in plastic…designed to be thrown away after pitifully short duration of usage, (hm, must have some of Grandpa’s genes in me as well!)
Roger, you are a dear! I remember doing the same when my mom’s cleaning lady came once a week. I felt so ashamed for letting my room go to shambles I always did a quick little pick-up before she came. What a great gift for your daughter!
One of my good friends is from the south and about my age. He remembers his dad coming home and telling his mother she wasn’t going to have to do dishes any more. She thought he had hired her a maid. The next day they installed a dishwasher.
Better that he brought home a dishwasher rather than a dog with a big tongue…
Mary… my middle daughter was like your Dad… even when she was very young. She loved books… but not only just the reading of them. She was also fascinated by the tactile smoothness of the paper and the smell of the freshly turned pages! Deep… for one so young… (((LOL)))
Re: living in this day and age. I think we’ve lost something in the translation! Back in our grandparents day… despite the absence of labour-saving devices… they seemed to have more time (and inclination) to stop… to sit and ponder… and “take life in” more slowly. My mother recalled her childhood as one where everyone had their jobs… but also had plenty of time to eat dinner together with friends and family with singalongs afterwards around the piano. And these were almost nightly events… not something celebrated on occasion. They went to dances and played tennis. Kids these days seem a disparate lot by comparison. They have social networks… but many of these friendships are lived out on the cell (mobile) phone or over the net. Television computers ipods mobile technology and technology in general have conspired to make children (and adults) these days more sedentary and somehow more inward and insular. It’s rather strange this thing we call “progress”! LOL
Roger… that’s hilarious! (((LOL))) Mary… eeeuuww! *wink* (((LOL)))
I understand Jean. It was far more interactively social back in our grandparents’ day and age. There were more opportunities to go outside and breathe the clean air and speak to neighbors across the fence. I wonder, though, how much of this time was simply “idle” time…time to stop, reflect and wonder. When talking to their neighbors did they exchange work related concerns-of damaging circumstances due to the winds of the last storm? Or hope of a healthy calving season? Or did they stop to reflect and share the wondrous world around them? I imagine a little of both for even if they were ignorant to the beauty of their immediate surroundings I imagine Mother Nature had a way to permeate their souls and create for them lavishly beautiful backdrops to dress up future nostalgic memories.
I’m sure you are familiar with our Robert Frost…He is my favorite! This thread reminds me of one of his poems:
A Time to Talk
When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaningful walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.
I don’t think we have the same kind of social interactions that we used to have. But I think it’s amazing that I can indulge in an ongoing dialect with a friend halfway around the world. I don’t feel isolated in the least but that may be because I have the best of both worlds…involvement in an active worship community as well as a thought-provoking online community. I am truly fortunate!
Jean I do agree with you about the younger ones of today. My Emily could become a recluse if not for the the internet and her mobile phone (which is constantly claiming her attention!!). When she was younger she was quite capable of approaching other children and striking up an instant friendship, especially if we were on holidays! She has gone to many different schools and has had to extend herself to reach out and accept others to survive the limitations of being “the new girl”. But, now she has an almost fear like attitude (we have been back in Oarnge for almost 5 yrs now) and judges people too readily as she has a firm set of friends and the politics of this circle runs deep. I see it all as a kind of barrier. She does have a wide circle of friends from differing social backgrounds and for that part I am proud of her…but it would seem that it is “uncool” to interact with others who not confirmed members of the circle and she is plagued by “noses out of joint” for her ‘other’ friendships…there seems to be a “possesion” mentality within the ownership of friendship! But I also see that her closest friends adore her and are constantly inviting her places and calling to see where she is. Six of one and half a dozen of the other!!!
I am most fortunate to be living in the street that I do. My neighbours are very friendly and quite willing to discuss “matters of the world” over the back fence (quite often with a beer clutched firmly in hand and if that should run out before the conversation, it is soon replaced!!) However I am mindful of the
privacey of neighbours and do not force this social injection without surveying the scene first! Out the front of my house is also a good meeting place to indulge in conversation with the 7 other residents (except for the “Mayor”…Lol!!) We often all congregate in someones yard when we see a gathering. I always have visitors to my studio in the form of the children who live in my street, who are either riding bikes, skate boards, scooters..what ever! I have had up to 8 children standing around and chatting to me as I paint, I love those moments and I know each child as an individual. I actually hunted an intruder the other day – (a nasty little boy from the next street up), out of my yard as he was pushing other children over!!!! I guess I am unofficially the “playground security guard”..Lol! I think that there are pro’s and con’s for the electronic world we live in and it is always our choice to participate within it. Moderation is the key…anything in excess is not a good thing! I try to make rules for time limits with computer and TV and always encourage my girls to find something to do other than sitting goggle eyed in front of a screen. As a child and young adult, my passion was writing. Mainly letters – I had penfriends in Germany, Africa, Japan, England and Canada. I also wrote to my Grandmother and cousins on a regular basis. And then came the poetry and plays…I still have my old manual type writer which I am considering pulling out and dusting off!!! I have to admitt that the thought of the clunky keys and the return handle is not indusive!! Lol! As a parent I encourage the art of communication and I try to teach by example.
Mary, I love your choice of poetry! I also think that your sentiments are lovely!!
Mary and Jools.. you are both right of course! There is always “more than” two sides to every issue. Life is a complex thing… and for every bit of perceived progress there will be drawbacks. Conversely… despite the advantages of having lived in a simpler time… I’m sure those who did… could find some fault with their existence then too!
Don’t get me wrong…technology is a wonderful thing… and I couldn’t agree more with you Mary how totally amazing it is that people like us can now converse half way round the world with people we would otherwise have never known.! That IS nothing short of wonderful! LOL
Thanks both of you for your thoughtful comments… I understand and greatly appreciate your point of view
Yesterday we had a fun day when our eldest arrived with both our grandaughters a “twentyteen” she doesn’t want to be out of teens and a 15 yr old. After the granpa commiserations and the raid on the cupboards looking for treats to have with elevenses one started to wash both cars and the eldest helped in the kitchen before helping her dad to put up a new garden swing for me (hilarious) Then I copped the howls of laughter while trying to move my w.chair with my feet scooterwise .
Even the rivalry has developed a less physical nature and our discussion on physical punishment was enlightening to say the least .
When their dad came home from university bearing his degree and looking for work we tried various things to help keep his mind active, a greenhouse,golf membership etc Each he made use of but still not able to spend . He became my home help and I paid by the job done with not a mention to younger brother . I think in some cases he did a better job than I . When tradespeople came he stood over them and discovered their secrets >grin
Oops was it something I said ? The last bit didn’t print out
Och Elinor..I was enjoying that too!
Elinor… please do go on… I was enjoying your story as well!! Can’t imagine what happened to the rest of your post… except I have noticed that when I use those little inverted arrow symbols around the ~grin~ word (you may have noticed now I use these little waves)… sometimes the “coding” here doesn’t like it and shoots it right back to me. Maybe it read that symbol as the end of the post? Who knows… certainly not me! But I will ask Andrew about it.
Meantime… are you up to the rest of the story? (I know it’s a pain having to write it all again so I understand if not)
43 comments!!! Wow! What’s left to say?
The unfortunate thing is that somewhere way back at the dawn of “civlization,” when mankind started to become less and less civilized, things got compartmentalized. Instead of everyone doing what was needed in order for the family and tribe to survive, the way it’s meant to be, people began to have “jobs.” The answer, of course, is that we have to collaborate with those around us to create our own tribes, and live the way we feel is right. The hell with society’s idiotic expections, rules, roles, and constrictions. We’re all responsible for joining together with those important to us to create the joy in our lives and theirs while eliminatring the BS.
Love your cartoon, Jean, as always!
Whats left to say John ? well I can’t really remember except I did ask my eldest grand to read Robert Frosts poem at my funeral (soon or later ) I know she reads well from a lectern and other pieces of scripture will have their place. What I wanted was to get her to focus on his last line in “The road less taken ”
I really believe this piece sums me up and is a good piece of advice to any who might otherwise feel like following the herd .
I would say that the road that I am on, does not have many tracks from fellow travellers previously passed. Many have seen the signs leading to a way….but choose not to deviate from a track that is well worn – a track that they think is safe.
R.F. didn’t mention the third road…the deer trail meandering through the woods…that I seem to have found myself on! If I ever find myself “back” to the main roads I’ll save them “for another day”…and travel back into the undergrowth…
Yes Mary….I think I have to agree!!
And then there’s people like British journalist Alan Johnstone who was held captive in Gaza for 114 days by Muslim extremists. After his eventual release and return to his family… he swore that “next time” he would take the road more frequently travelled. The road less travelled it would seem… has many potholes! LOL (Great story of survival for anyone interested btw)
So pleased you liked the cartoon John! What’s great about a topic like this is it’s many facets… and from each person’s experience springs a differing viewpoint. I concur wholeheartedly with your admonition to shun “society’s idiotic expections, rules, roles, and constrictions”… you know me… forever attempting to swim against the tide. I am happy to report it is still an uphill battle! (((LOL)))
Hmmm… the road less travelled. That sounds like a great blog topic!