Monday, April 16, 2012

Grocery Shopping in the Mine Field

Well, it seems the theme continues from Evelyn’s blog, “It’s Such Hard Work…Eating Bon Bon’s.”  Tired from a full day of working both in and out of the home, I went to the grocery store at 8:30pm, after the family had been fed, watered and the kids were bunkered down for the night. I rounded the corner between the bananas and the melons and ran smack into someone, who I now believe, clearly shouldn’t be allowed to speak, ever.

“I heard all about your good news Mary! How does it feel to finally have a real job?”

Can you hear the crickets?

For a full two to ten seconds my mouth just hung open. Clearly it doesn’t take a Hilary Rosen to get it all wrong. Why Mike Rowe would have a field day following Moms around. Dirtiest Jobs would take on a whole new meaning watching cute-as-pie Mike clean up biological accidents, whether from sickness or an occasional “spill.” Ever clean a sippy cup that was stuck under the car seat for several days in 100 degree weather that had been full of milk? How about the days when everyone is sick but you? That’s what you call living it up, it’s like a day at a posh gym, the stairs have never been worked so hard! Nah, I didn’t have a real job when I was at home.

In a way, I feel sorry for that poor woman. She clearly didn’t know who she was speaking to when she congratulated me on my “real job.” I was tired, cranky, my ankles were swollen, my eyes were red-rimmed from computer work and my nose was running from the irritating scent of toilet bowl cleanser I had used earlier. She was dancing in the mine field without armor, and I lobed a grenade.

“You know Dr. Laura Schlessinger wouldn’t agree with you, she thinks working moms are just trying to have more, more things, more trinkets, more pedicures,  but then Rush thinks women who work outside the home are "Feminazi’s." Of course, writing two blogs, one essay, a column and a review every month is more of a hobby, don’t you think? That’s only after fitting in laundry, errands, band, Kung Fu (even though I’m not in a band and I can’t lift my leg to do a crane move), supper, baths and whatever else the family needs. No, work is like a vacation for me now, I get to try and fit in all of that other stuff along with “work” and go to the grocery store at 8:30 at night! Yes, I love my new “REAL” job.”  I grinned and walked away.

Clean up on aisle three.

3 comments:

  1. What I do with willfully ignorant people is just walk away shaking my head. Don't waste your time and energy with them because there are plenty of other people who "get it." The world has many bigots, fools, and jerks, and no amount of witty comebacks or intelligent writing will change them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John, that is so very true, but even good common sense gets dulled when the "upteenth" time of the same comment/view point is heard. I know I should have, and could have walked away, but every now and then I just have to speak my mind and let them know "this time, you stepped on the wrong toes." If only the world had more tolerent and thoughtful people like you in it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wish I could say I was always tolerant and thoughtful, but sometimes I also have to speak my mind even when I know that my words will go in one ear and out the other. It's like when I yell at our cat-from-hell, "Why do you always puke on the carpet instead of the floor?!" It probably does no good, but it makes me feel better.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for commenting - it makes our day! Your comment will appear just as soon as I get the wash out, and determine that you're a real person!