Changes...
The last couple of days got me thinking about how the roles of men and women have been changing in my country in the last two or three decades...I've just come back from a two day visit to Hajnówka in eastern Poland. To give you some background information, it is a town built in the middle of the Bialowieza primaeval forest... I don't think it was ever wealthy, but local people do think fondly of the days when the wood processing industry thrived and many people found employment at local furniture manufacturer's plants. Now there isn't much of it left, many are unemployed, or support themselves by smuggling alcohol and cigarettes from the nearby Belarus. On a brighter note, its becoming more and more popular amount tourists attracted by wild nature and unique culture developed throuhout its history between Poland, Russia and Belarus; Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish influences etc.
What I'm getting at however, is the mostly traditional model of family still present in those parts. I stayed these 2 days at my best friend's sisters' and was absolutely astonished. While I agree with most of the feminist agenda it was breath-taking to experience how her husband automatically checked the condition of my bike, fixed the low pressure in the tyres, and later put it in the basement for the night. I didn't even have to ask (Actually I wouldn't dream of asking). I was shocked how it was obvious for him that carrying the heavy stuff, repairs, safety of his family etc. was his responsiblity.
To be clear, I would NEVER exchange my life with my best friend's sister, who seems to be spending most of hers working in a kindergarten, cooking or grocery shopping...
It's just that fixing a leaking drain pipe under the kitchen sink right after I came back to Warsaw left me exremely dirty (also smelly), filled with a fair amount feminist pride, but also a bit nostalgic...
To be (probably) continued...
Comments (18)
blog, and please no part 2.
Looked it on Google map, a nice place to visit.
your woman is blessed lady if u carry all man s stuff at home.
What my feminist sould doesn't like, however, is being told what to do.
I wonder if there exist such responsible man ? So all around told me : you are not woman, but man or crazy.
I like my home being tidy and neat.
What my feminist sould doesn't like, however, is being told what to do.
a woman have to be woman at home/family. If she works too, the man have to help in household.
And a man have to be man at home/family.
Otherwise a feminist will end with joint problems in better case. I am not feminist, it s my cross right now.
I think you're touching on a really interesting point there.
I do think it's possible to be gentlemanly, or indeed to be on the receiving end of gentlemanly conduct, without undermining feminist ideals.
I think you can be nostalgic for the good parts of old-fashioned society without having to accept it all.
I make reference to the last sentence in your blog! "To be (probably) continued....."!!!
That was funny. I take life like that. Just go for it. And have fun.!
I'm pretty sure that they DID need feminism. Perhaps you've misunderstood the term.
If the feminist movement hadn't happened, the chances of a female businesswomen being successful would have been small enough as to be considered, basically, nil.
But don't let that stop you making those throwaway comments and putting the argument back a couple of decades.
The 80s were cool, after all.
No one, male or female likes being told what to do
"To be clear, I would NEVER exchange my life with my best friend's sister" - to be clear, no one has offered you:)
I wish you to be more open to people and world and it will turn to you its more positive side:)
.. P.S and sometimes the best solution is just to approach the person who hurt you with direct message - it helps.