Let's face it, women have made substantial gains in the field of law, business, medicine, behavioral sciences, engineering and other areas of professionalism that were traditionally thought to be man's domain. This is a direct result of the feminist movement which has brought a variety of social and cultural changes, impacting and affecting family relations, religion, the place of women in society, gendered language (the she/he factor) and relationships between women and men.
There was a time when women were called "housewives." Then came the time when housewives were called to work in industry to bear the burden of breadwinner and keep the home front operating while men were fighting or dying for country. Upon the return of men and "normalcy" of life, women became fed up with the gender inequality and took enormous steps to change that image. During the early '70's, some men, whether envious of a woman's option to choose to be employed or through unfortunate challenges, stayed home and became "househusbands." Meanwhile, women moved forward with their plight for equality through education and employment. The gender language changed, and "housewives" and "househusbands" became "homemakers," especially since wife and husband were becoming less of a necessary factor in creating a family. The idea of working for extra comfort and material things, and deriving pleasure from owning a house (or bigger house), a car (or luxury car) became not just status symbols of 'old fashioned' men, but the measure of a modern woman's hard earned success. Women became self reliant and career oriented, moving the gage on the "equal-meter" closer to the center. Meanwhile, educated women who chose to put career aside to raise a family moved from the warmer, more homey description of their title of homemaker to the colder, rigid, linear approach of today's "domestic engineer." Even Roseanne Barr of the Roseanne show said in one of her episodes, "I hate the word housewife; I don't like the word homemaker either. I want to be called Domestic Goddess."
Today, the educated young generation of women are reaching new peaks. According to a recent CNN research report, 22% of women are now better educated than their husbands or make more money. While it is wonderful to be part of a generation that has evolved from a society that traditionally assigned women the role of money handling to that of money-making, I fear we are in the middle of a culture in which instead of moving toward the center, we are switching sides. At the risk of being gender-incorrect, I see current culture defeminizing our women and feminizing our men, or as some might prefer, masculinizing our women and demasculinizing our men. Currently, more working men than women are unemployed,* and with the rise of women determined to crack the "glass ceiling" or raise the bar further to excel at all cost even if it entails becoming romance resistant, men are filling in the shoes of domestic engineers and adapting to the reversal of gender roles with ease. There are men out there who choose to become more of a family man than more of a business man. Yet, with all the liberated idealism, this is a choice that, unfortunately, is often frowned upon by the career woman. Women,(whether because of need or desire)once again are bearing the burden--or the opportunity--of being breadwinners. Whether woman wants to be a career woman who runs the rat race and cracks the glass ceiling, or she wants to be a domestic engineer who focuses on raising a family and molding children by her values and ideals, is a rightful choice she makes. I support her choice. By the same token, if a man chooses or wishes to become the domestic engineer while the woman earns the keep, he should be able to do so without demeaning commentary from existing culture. I support the man. And perhaps in a few short years, a well educated, high salaried, well established career woman might come his way and ask for his hand as the perfect domestic engineer to form a family partnership!
Maybe it's time to reconsider the Feminist title and change it to the Equalist.
What say you?
This I humbly speak...
*Current Population Survey and Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics published in The New York Times, Business Section, Feb.6,2009
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Inception
There are movies that entertain and then there are movies that thoroughly engage and thrill you through action packed, brainy deep twists. INCEPTION, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, is one such mother of a movie.
It is a cleverly conceived maze of perceptions and ideas perfectly performed by a credible cast of characters. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a seriously credible spy who steals information by going into other people's dreams. He is on his last job. Equally captivating are Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe,and others who are either part of the scheme infiltrating the dream to be robbed or who are being robbed.
I recommend you make all your restroom stops prior to the start of the movie because you will need to engage yourself mentally and emotionally without losing a moment's worth of dialogue. If you thought a plot within a plot is complicated, then imagine a plot that engages a dream within a dream within a dream. Mind bending, to say the least. You'll be hopping in and out of different dreams involving all the characters.
Mind bending beautiful imagery, a cleverly crafted maze of intelligent entertainment.
Did I forget to say I highly recommend you see it once, and then perhaps twice.
This I humbly speak...
It is a cleverly conceived maze of perceptions and ideas perfectly performed by a credible cast of characters. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a seriously credible spy who steals information by going into other people's dreams. He is on his last job. Equally captivating are Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe,and others who are either part of the scheme infiltrating the dream to be robbed or who are being robbed.
I recommend you make all your restroom stops prior to the start of the movie because you will need to engage yourself mentally and emotionally without losing a moment's worth of dialogue. If you thought a plot within a plot is complicated, then imagine a plot that engages a dream within a dream within a dream. Mind bending, to say the least. You'll be hopping in and out of different dreams involving all the characters.
Mind bending beautiful imagery, a cleverly crafted maze of intelligent entertainment.
Did I forget to say I highly recommend you see it once, and then perhaps twice.
This I humbly speak...
Thursday, July 8, 2010
What Would You Do With a Million Dollars?
On my way to work, Id asked "What would you do with a million dollars? How would you spend it?"
I recall as children in elementary school,perhaps fifth or sixth grade, we were asked that similar question. It was one of those questions designed to reveal our way of thinking. What we would do with a million dollars would say a lot about the philanthropy in our hearts, our concern for the problems of the world, our concept of money and our knowledge of the cost of material things. At the time, most of the answers would reveal that the classroom had an over abundant share of philanthropists and humanitarians who would give more than 50% to charity while helping find cures for the ill, shelter for the homeless, food for the hungry, clothing for the poor, a house and/or car for our families, a trip around the world, ah yes, some games and toys for ourselves, and most of us would put money in a savings account. Once we entered high school the question of a million dollars was not asked again perhaps for fear that life values and cost of living had changed so drastically toward material gratification that the class would reveal an abundance of egoism and significant lack of philanthropists and humanitarians.
"How would you spend it?" repeated Id.
"I'm thinking," I said.
"What's there to think about? You know what you want, what you like, what you don't have, or could have, why should you think about it?"
"Because money can do a lot, and I want to make it work for me," I said with conviction.
"Spending it on what you want is making it work for you," said Id.
"That's too temporary," I said. "Remember years ago, when we were much younger, we tried spending an imaginary million dollars. We decided to spend on ourselves first, so we calculated to the dollar the price of our wants and desires. We went straight into redecorating with new furniture, new electronics, gadgets, vacation, wardrobe and still had money left over. So we decided to spend on remodeling the home, giving 5% to schools and 15% to charity, and putting aside enough for a few rainy days, with money left over for emergencies other than 'rainy days.'"
"Yeah, I remember," nodded Id with a smile that stretched from ear to ear as he delighted in the memory. "I was so excited. I clipped pictures of everything I wanted with their price tags attached...from the latest PlayStation and games to cars and bikes, we put it all on paper, our wants and desires. We really indulged in our fantasy."
"We sure did," I said as I took a short moment to bask in the memory of our indulgence. "But, that's all it was, want and desires," I said, coming back to reality. "Wants and desires fade and change. I need something more lasting and meaningful."
"Here we go again," said Id as he sighed and rolled his head in frustration. He knew where I was headed.
"Money needs to reflect who I really am and what is important to me in life," I continued.
"I know," said Id, exasperated. "For you it's people first, then money."
"Precisely. So I'll need to take care of loved ones first. It's as if by taking care of others--those to whom I gave life, those who helped me enter the world and especially those who helped and guided my passage through life--I will have responded to the higher values of my existence. Can you understand that?" I asked in earnest. "It's as if I'm giving thanks on a material level."
"Absolutely. But, you're not in fifth grade anymore. You can think differently, you know." Id nudged me. "Besides, that's a long list of people and organizations, and what if they don't need your help?" Typical Id. Always asking the "what if..?"
"Everybody needs help," I said. "Anyway, people always welcome gifts."
"Yeah, well, don't forget to throw a bone or two my way once in a while," he said with his usual humor.
I laughed. "I'll do even better than that. I'll buy a couple of dogs to go with the bones."
"You mean we'll indulge?" he asked with sarcasm.
"Yep, I have it all calculated and there still will be some left over for a few wants and desires," I chuckled.
"Aren't you missing something?" asked Id.
"What?"
"The million!?" he exclaimed.
"I thought YOU had it," I smiled.
"Would I be here if I did?" asked Id. His face looked...I don't know...unguarded.
"If you had a million, I wouldn't be here either," I whispered softly.
On my way to work...
This I humbly speak...
I recall as children in elementary school,perhaps fifth or sixth grade, we were asked that similar question. It was one of those questions designed to reveal our way of thinking. What we would do with a million dollars would say a lot about the philanthropy in our hearts, our concern for the problems of the world, our concept of money and our knowledge of the cost of material things. At the time, most of the answers would reveal that the classroom had an over abundant share of philanthropists and humanitarians who would give more than 50% to charity while helping find cures for the ill, shelter for the homeless, food for the hungry, clothing for the poor, a house and/or car for our families, a trip around the world, ah yes, some games and toys for ourselves, and most of us would put money in a savings account. Once we entered high school the question of a million dollars was not asked again perhaps for fear that life values and cost of living had changed so drastically toward material gratification that the class would reveal an abundance of egoism and significant lack of philanthropists and humanitarians.
"How would you spend it?" repeated Id.
"I'm thinking," I said.
"What's there to think about? You know what you want, what you like, what you don't have, or could have, why should you think about it?"
"Because money can do a lot, and I want to make it work for me," I said with conviction.
"Spending it on what you want is making it work for you," said Id.
"That's too temporary," I said. "Remember years ago, when we were much younger, we tried spending an imaginary million dollars. We decided to spend on ourselves first, so we calculated to the dollar the price of our wants and desires. We went straight into redecorating with new furniture, new electronics, gadgets, vacation, wardrobe and still had money left over. So we decided to spend on remodeling the home, giving 5% to schools and 15% to charity, and putting aside enough for a few rainy days, with money left over for emergencies other than 'rainy days.'"
"Yeah, I remember," nodded Id with a smile that stretched from ear to ear as he delighted in the memory. "I was so excited. I clipped pictures of everything I wanted with their price tags attached...from the latest PlayStation and games to cars and bikes, we put it all on paper, our wants and desires. We really indulged in our fantasy."
"We sure did," I said as I took a short moment to bask in the memory of our indulgence. "But, that's all it was, want and desires," I said, coming back to reality. "Wants and desires fade and change. I need something more lasting and meaningful."
"Here we go again," said Id as he sighed and rolled his head in frustration. He knew where I was headed.
"Money needs to reflect who I really am and what is important to me in life," I continued.
"I know," said Id, exasperated. "For you it's people first, then money."
"Precisely. So I'll need to take care of loved ones first. It's as if by taking care of others--those to whom I gave life, those who helped me enter the world and especially those who helped and guided my passage through life--I will have responded to the higher values of my existence. Can you understand that?" I asked in earnest. "It's as if I'm giving thanks on a material level."
"Absolutely. But, you're not in fifth grade anymore. You can think differently, you know." Id nudged me. "Besides, that's a long list of people and organizations, and what if they don't need your help?" Typical Id. Always asking the "what if..?"
"Everybody needs help," I said. "Anyway, people always welcome gifts."
"Yeah, well, don't forget to throw a bone or two my way once in a while," he said with his usual humor.
I laughed. "I'll do even better than that. I'll buy a couple of dogs to go with the bones."
"You mean we'll indulge?" he asked with sarcasm.
"Yep, I have it all calculated and there still will be some left over for a few wants and desires," I chuckled.
"Aren't you missing something?" asked Id.
"What?"
"The million!?" he exclaimed.
"I thought YOU had it," I smiled.
"Would I be here if I did?" asked Id. His face looked...I don't know...unguarded.
"If you had a million, I wouldn't be here either," I whispered softly.
On my way to work...
This I humbly speak...
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Freedom
"No one is free when others are oppressed."
(Author unknown)
"Freedom is the best gift given to man. It lives in the heart, the actions and deeds of man, and it must be practiced daily to keep it alive so man can maintain his right to own it." (Silver Lining)
This I humbly speak....
(Author unknown)
"Freedom is the best gift given to man. It lives in the heart, the actions and deeds of man, and it must be practiced daily to keep it alive so man can maintain his right to own it." (Silver Lining)
This I humbly speak....
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