Growing up in a family that ran a ranch (beef cattle) and heavy equipment construction I learned to do many things the "men folk" did. Dad said go grease all the equipment, so you went and greased the equipment. Same for changing your vehicle oil or feeding the stock or whatever else needed doing.
Some things were a challenge for me, but not for my brother. I could not grab the hay hooks and throw that bale in the truck like my brother, oh no! I was the flip it end over end till it leaned on the tailgate and then heave it up. I still got the cows fed in winter though.
I have found that being of the female persuasion many men felt intimidated by what I knew how to do. I had been told once (while being dumped) that what did I need him for, I could do it all myself. I was so blown away. Who cares that I know how, who says I want to? I love heavy equipment and what it can do BUT I hate the greasy-sticky dirt that ends up on you and the dust you wear till the end of the day if you are the one stuck rolling the miles of new road, and just because I know how to change my oil doesn't mean I want to.
All of this to say I so resonated with your post. I'm proud to be a woman who knows how to do many things that many would consider to be for men. I agree that there should be no watered-down requirements. If you are built such (male or female) that you can pass the requirements or handle the task then more power to you, and if you can't, feel no shame, go find the things that bring out the best in you and those you love and do that to the utmost of your abilities.
"I know this: The IRS has gained 50% more tax revenue since women joined the workforce… but surely that can’t be the reason more women were encouraged to go to work, can it?" I could have stopped reading there, because you established your premise and sent me on a bunny trail. First, the govt didn't double its tax revenue when it doubled the gender inclusion in the workforce, for a variety of opinion-based reasons (lots of women were already working, women took lower-paying jobs--or if you are of that persuasion, their pay was unfairly lower--, expansion of the workforce pushed the supply/demand curve toward lower wages, etc.). Second, the voracious government spent more than its incremented revenue anyway (another bunny-trail opportunity). Since I'm not a bunny, though, the point I make in support of your premise is that when we married, my wife (and I) decided that her higher salary was less important than her desire to raise a family. It would require another bunny-trail for me to explain why I think my earning performance has never been good, but our decision for me to be the financial provider and sole wage-earner encouraged (forced?) me to man up and earn some income. We are both good at thrift and managing our resources, and committed to Godly living, so many of our friends and acquaintances would be surprised (disbelieving?) if they knew that in only two or three years of our now 37-year marriage did I earn above the official poverty line while we (mostly thanks to her expertise and motherliness and availability) raised four children to successful adulthood. (Hint: Goodwill and Salvation Army have been our 'major shopping destinations'.) We are debt-free, and I could go on. My point is that my wife fulfilled her role as a woman, and by the way her doing so helped me fulfill my role as a man.
You are absolutely right! God made us - man and woman - and we are NOT the same for a reason! We have different roles to fill with different physical and emotional qualities to do so. We are meant to be partners and to complement one another. The women’s lib movement that I grew up with really didn’t do us, or our families, any favors. It convinced us that we weren't ‘good enough’ just being women that raised children and cared for our home and husband. I haven’t looked at it in this light until recently. We gave up ‘so much’ just to have more ‘things’ that require more money, more time and more energy to maintain….. and then delegate the raising our children, which is one of the most important jobs that we have, to others! And this is ‘having it all’? It only took me 60+ years to figure it out! We were so brainwashed! I am a strong woman - and I have no desire to be a man. I am so glad that I married a ‘real man’ - and he sounds a lot like yours. Thank u for another post which really spoke to me. God bless u and keep u warm!
We also live in extreme area difficult to get to...we live at 1300 level to exit we drive 3-4 miles up to 5300. Challenging in snow & ice forget about it! We have been saving for snowmobile or?? Wondering if you are happy with it or wish you had bought a different vehicle to “get out”? Thanks for the stories from one over achiever Tom boy to another.
Oh, well said, thank you so much! Mirrors my own thinking exactly! And I’m a female 9 year National Guard Army veteran, private pilot, alternative builder/wanna-be homesteader, and currently drive a box truck picking up furniture for a local non-profit. But I’ve never seen any of that as competition with the guys, I’m just doing my own thing, doing what I want to do and what I enjoy. And I know from experience that going it alone is extremely difficult and would much rather have complementary help. Thanks for saying it all so well!
Was literally just thinking about you today, that I haven't seen a post for a bit, and boom here you are. Ice rain here in Portland. I have lots of feeeeeelings about this subject you discuss, the first being that I was sort of the replacement baby for who would have been my slightly elder brother who died as an infant, and I think that affected me, perhaps via my family dynamics, in that I was very not into any girly stuff. Though I guess it was also the style at the time, (I as 6 in 1970). I took up both trombone and design because its what my Dad did. I didn't even know about my 'missing' brother until I was 12ish. In the last few years I have come to appreciate the differences between women and men, spent a few years in art class drawing both naked, and nothing will teach you more about the differences than that. I also think about how women, generally, are recognized to have more long range stamina, due to our fat stores/physiology. Trying to compete as equals seems to miss the point entirely, as the sexes seem to me to be more often complementary in both physical and mental/mindful ways. I also have to give a sad shoutout to plastics and phalates and the like messing with our levels of Testosterone etc. Glass not plastic. best
Growing up in a family that ran a ranch (beef cattle) and heavy equipment construction I learned to do many things the "men folk" did. Dad said go grease all the equipment, so you went and greased the equipment. Same for changing your vehicle oil or feeding the stock or whatever else needed doing.
Some things were a challenge for me, but not for my brother. I could not grab the hay hooks and throw that bale in the truck like my brother, oh no! I was the flip it end over end till it leaned on the tailgate and then heave it up. I still got the cows fed in winter though.
I have found that being of the female persuasion many men felt intimidated by what I knew how to do. I had been told once (while being dumped) that what did I need him for, I could do it all myself. I was so blown away. Who cares that I know how, who says I want to? I love heavy equipment and what it can do BUT I hate the greasy-sticky dirt that ends up on you and the dust you wear till the end of the day if you are the one stuck rolling the miles of new road, and just because I know how to change my oil doesn't mean I want to.
All of this to say I so resonated with your post. I'm proud to be a woman who knows how to do many things that many would consider to be for men. I agree that there should be no watered-down requirements. If you are built such (male or female) that you can pass the requirements or handle the task then more power to you, and if you can't, feel no shame, go find the things that bring out the best in you and those you love and do that to the utmost of your abilities.
Hm. Substitute butchering chickens for rabbits and, I think I might be one of those women mentioned toward the end.
I see myself as a 5'5" man in most instances and do whatever strikes me within the limitations of my smaller frame (not in a trans way)
This may be a topic that we don't totally agree on, but I love your message.
"Do it because you want to do it - for you'
"I know this: The IRS has gained 50% more tax revenue since women joined the workforce… but surely that can’t be the reason more women were encouraged to go to work, can it?" I could have stopped reading there, because you established your premise and sent me on a bunny trail. First, the govt didn't double its tax revenue when it doubled the gender inclusion in the workforce, for a variety of opinion-based reasons (lots of women were already working, women took lower-paying jobs--or if you are of that persuasion, their pay was unfairly lower--, expansion of the workforce pushed the supply/demand curve toward lower wages, etc.). Second, the voracious government spent more than its incremented revenue anyway (another bunny-trail opportunity). Since I'm not a bunny, though, the point I make in support of your premise is that when we married, my wife (and I) decided that her higher salary was less important than her desire to raise a family. It would require another bunny-trail for me to explain why I think my earning performance has never been good, but our decision for me to be the financial provider and sole wage-earner encouraged (forced?) me to man up and earn some income. We are both good at thrift and managing our resources, and committed to Godly living, so many of our friends and acquaintances would be surprised (disbelieving?) if they knew that in only two or three years of our now 37-year marriage did I earn above the official poverty line while we (mostly thanks to her expertise and motherliness and availability) raised four children to successful adulthood. (Hint: Goodwill and Salvation Army have been our 'major shopping destinations'.) We are debt-free, and I could go on. My point is that my wife fulfilled her role as a woman, and by the way her doing so helped me fulfill my role as a man.
You are absolutely right! God made us - man and woman - and we are NOT the same for a reason! We have different roles to fill with different physical and emotional qualities to do so. We are meant to be partners and to complement one another. The women’s lib movement that I grew up with really didn’t do us, or our families, any favors. It convinced us that we weren't ‘good enough’ just being women that raised children and cared for our home and husband. I haven’t looked at it in this light until recently. We gave up ‘so much’ just to have more ‘things’ that require more money, more time and more energy to maintain….. and then delegate the raising our children, which is one of the most important jobs that we have, to others! And this is ‘having it all’? It only took me 60+ years to figure it out! We were so brainwashed! I am a strong woman - and I have no desire to be a man. I am so glad that I married a ‘real man’ - and he sounds a lot like yours. Thank u for another post which really spoke to me. God bless u and keep u warm!
That’s all interesting info!
Thank you for the time!!
Going to explore what makes sense…love the track idea..if only! I’ll report back when we pull trigger ❤️
Fun read!
We also live in extreme area difficult to get to...we live at 1300 level to exit we drive 3-4 miles up to 5300. Challenging in snow & ice forget about it! We have been saving for snowmobile or?? Wondering if you are happy with it or wish you had bought a different vehicle to “get out”? Thanks for the stories from one over achiever Tom boy to another.
Oh, well said, thank you so much! Mirrors my own thinking exactly! And I’m a female 9 year National Guard Army veteran, private pilot, alternative builder/wanna-be homesteader, and currently drive a box truck picking up furniture for a local non-profit. But I’ve never seen any of that as competition with the guys, I’m just doing my own thing, doing what I want to do and what I enjoy. And I know from experience that going it alone is extremely difficult and would much rather have complementary help. Thanks for saying it all so well!
Was literally just thinking about you today, that I haven't seen a post for a bit, and boom here you are. Ice rain here in Portland. I have lots of feeeeeelings about this subject you discuss, the first being that I was sort of the replacement baby for who would have been my slightly elder brother who died as an infant, and I think that affected me, perhaps via my family dynamics, in that I was very not into any girly stuff. Though I guess it was also the style at the time, (I as 6 in 1970). I took up both trombone and design because its what my Dad did. I didn't even know about my 'missing' brother until I was 12ish. In the last few years I have come to appreciate the differences between women and men, spent a few years in art class drawing both naked, and nothing will teach you more about the differences than that. I also think about how women, generally, are recognized to have more long range stamina, due to our fat stores/physiology. Trying to compete as equals seems to miss the point entirely, as the sexes seem to me to be more often complementary in both physical and mental/mindful ways. I also have to give a sad shoutout to plastics and phalates and the like messing with our levels of Testosterone etc. Glass not plastic. best