There's so much to say about this topic, from the new TV show, produced by Ron Howard, to what Denver's Archbishop Chaput had to say about the future of two young students (both from the same family) attending Sacred Heart of Jesus School--or rather, their parents.
If you've read Push--or have seen the movie that is based on this novel by Sapphire ("Precious")--you probably know that Mo'nique won an Oscar for her portrayal of an African-American mother. Maybe you've also read Stones for Schools (2009), Greg Mortenson's book on building girls' schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan with parental support to ensure that young women can support themselves and their future families.
Did you perhaps also hear about a 1995 poll of nearly 14,000 U.S. women (conducted by author Georgia Witkin, PhD) which showed that many of these women still believe that:
1. Women are weaker than men (and are "not suited to be senators or to serve in the military").
2. Women can't be "good" employers.
3. Women will postpone or leave a career to commit to a personal relationship and/or have children "never to return."
4. Men have higher self-esteem than women.
5. Women are intuitive and less logical than men.
Fifteen years later, I wonder how many women still feel the same. I wonder how many men and women really "parent" themselves--not just their children, spouses, friends and their own parents. By taking on different kinds of responsibilities both at home and away, I wonder how many parents actually try to "underwhelm" themselves on a conscious level--and don't feel guilty about not doing more.
Lately I am trying to do more self-parenting--having your hours at work cut in half in a week's time can definitely make you re-think how you prioritize your life! Tomorrow I'm back at the office for meetings, phone calls, emails and at the end of the day I may take in a stage audition for TVM (see my latest FB news feed for details)...or fill out some forms that'll help me plan out my will and testament so that later this week (when I meet with a lawyer friend) to get organized in that respect, I get some family input. I haven't seen Johnny Depp's version of "Alice in Wonderland" yet, but should I find myself slipping down a rabbit hole any time soon, I think I'll be ready to face the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen or even The-One-That-Led-Alice down that path in the first place with his ever-present timepiece, ticking away...
Tomorrow is Hump Day--see you soon enough on the other side! (Write and let me know if you leave your watch at home! Or better yet, on Sunday let me know if you're choosing to stay on "fall back" time just a little longer!)
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