Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Office Space: a little too close to home.

"If you had a million dollars, what would you do?"
"Me, Why I'd do 2 chicks at the same time."
"Really? That's what you'd do with a million dollars."
"Yep. You?"
"What would I do with a million dollars?"
"Yep."
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"That's right...."

I suffer from whims. Currently, I would like to learn how to knit. Past whims have included: writing, making candles, sewing my own clothes, making paper, and becoming fluent in Spanish. I'm sure there have been more but these stick out in my mind.

I went to college because that's what you do after high school. I wasn't so much interested in a career path as I was in living on my own. I studied PoliSci because it interested me briefly, then switched to Spanish because, hell, I already spoke the language. I then switched to Linguistics but got knocked up and finally, dropped out of college altogether.

At 25, when I had the baby, I needed: 3 classes to finish my linguistics degree, 4 classes for Spanish, and 5 to complete a degree in PoliSci. Laughing yet? I am.

I think the main problem has always been that my interests lie in fields that are predominantly unpaid. Either that or dead as a result of the Industrial Revolution. I don't need a degree to speak languages. I don't need a degree to sew or knit, can food or make paper. On the contrary, I only need a husband that allows me to stay home.

Much like Ron in Office Space, I don't want to do anything. Professionally, that is. I want to have a garden from where I can can and preserve my own vegetables. I want to be able to knit a really cool scarf, at the least. I can already sew, although the year I made all of my own clothes has kind of dampened my enjoyment for it. I want to ensure that my baby girl remains fluent in the 3 languages she already speaks. Basically, I want to be a housewife.

And I never saw it coming!

I am an open minded woman. No, I am a feminist. I support anybody's choice to conquer the world or their own backyard. I refuse to accept less than open minded actions as viable. I have seen too much and know the power of freedom. I was teased, mercilessly, by my family for being a "tree-hugging, lettuce chomping liberal." And here I am, proclaiming for all the world, my desire to return to the kitchen, where hopefully, within six months I'll also be barefoot and pregnant!

It is to laugh, and I'm sure my father is laughing his ass off right now!

2 comments:

Lisa said...

I hear ya. I always wanted to be a career girl. At one point, I didn't want kids, I wanted to kick some serious corporate butt.

And now I'm a stay-at-hom mom. I love it. And the thought of spending 40 hours a week in a small cubicle makes me want to claw my own eyes out!

So I can completely understand!

Kit said...

It's being able to choose that's important and having been able to do some other stuff first, which makes being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen sink an attractive prospect! High heeled corporate shoes are way too uncomfortable.