When we arrived in the state of Florida way back in August of 1986 and I went to the schools to register our two sons of ages ten and fourteen to attend classes I was met with where's their father he has to do the registering?
Huh???????
Now I was never much of a pushy gal when it came to being recognized for my part in giving life to our two little darlings without help, since that would have been impossible back in 1972 and 1976. No, I do know they were both a product of our love of and for one another.
But misogyny is a whole other issue, ya know?
Perhaps, although southern men are known for their gentlemanly ways they are also known for not giving much credit to women in their child rearing or maybe they give that as our only ability, any-who even when it is also part of equally working with or similar to their mates recognition that seems to hardly exists!
It's been pretty much saying one thing and then another thing that clashes with their probable intent.
I know this is me giving them the benefit of a doubt.
Fortunately, I taught my northern sons our northern ways and they have always appreciated women's abilities, thus one married an attorney and the other's girlfriend is a psychologist.
Why and where is all this leading to, hmm, I bet you are wondering, huh?
Well today one of my fears was realized with our old but sort of working large appliances, out stackable washer/dryer finally proved it had reached its limit of ability to function after twenty years plus of helping us out with cleaning and drying our clothing. It had been huffing and puffing for these last few years, and the fact that the timer for the dryer went backwards but worked became endearing, not too ridiculous, since it still worked as I said. The washer's tub has been flaking and rust has been cleaned often from its top layers or brushed into the washer itself with hopes that it would diminish into pieces while going down the drain, oops maybe, nah, that couldn't have been the cause... oh no it was just too worn out, positively tuckered.
So today after the small load of two fluffy small rugs, bath sized and four doggy stuffed toys were placed in the washer to clean the water decided that it would not drain. After Hubby gave it his professional diagnosis, yes my multifaceted husband even worked as an apprentice plumber while attending the Academy of Aeronautics at La Guardia thus never needing a plumber all of our married years. He pronounced our Kenmore deceased, and used the pond pump and yard hose to remove its excess water.All soaked tub filled items were put into a bucket and then into my bathtub to be squeezed out and rinsed of soap and then put into the still working but reverse challenged dryer top and hours and hours later they are all dry, yep it does seem to run longer than necessary too.
I was the one to call Sears who had the sale on our particular narrow 24" wide stackable, since the cabinets had been specially built around it after the hurricane by a fancy smancy closet company. The sale was less than we had paid all those years ago, then $1100, now $900+ additional wires and stainless hose, but still less than twenty years ago, with free delivery and hook up, yeah!
They even emailed the receipt, but...the receipt had Hubby's name on it, not mine!
First I emailed back telling them my feeling of being insulted by that, and all it got me was the acknowledgement that it was a one way-er; email that is.
I got so frustrated that I called back the store and got a man that suggested I call their Chicago office, but as soon as he put it out there he ruined his concern by calling it rather a frivolous idea though!
That just caused my ire to surface more and so I hung up and I called back the store and asked to speak to the store manager.
He actually spoke with me; he sounded very thoughtful and concerned.
I spoke of the proposed analogy of if it were his wife or daughters being diminished or not acknowledged in value.
The credit card that I used to order the washer/dryer combo was mine first and I had added Hubby onto it, and I have had it since 1976! I think that's why it bothered me. It was if I hadn't called at all. The receipt said Hubby's name only with our address for delivery, I was no where to be found.
Ya know, perhaps its the MS and my inabilities these last few years so when I do do anything helpful I want the recognition as proof I can still do somethings, ya know..., silly, but needy reasoning, I guess...
I let them know how I felt and did not become too agitated and now all is done. Keith Perkins, the store manager, did say he would tell Chicago and it was something to think about...he does have a wife and daughters, by the way, so he could relate...and admitted he was younger than our own sons, Hubby's and mine that is.
Another day of me just doing my thing, yep, speaking my mind, so allow me now to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask all of you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know whom and we will too!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!
Huh???????
Now I was never much of a pushy gal when it came to being recognized for my part in giving life to our two little darlings without help, since that would have been impossible back in 1972 and 1976. No, I do know they were both a product of our love of and for one another.
But misogyny is a whole other issue, ya know?
Perhaps, although southern men are known for their gentlemanly ways they are also known for not giving much credit to women in their child rearing or maybe they give that as our only ability, any-who even when it is also part of equally working with or similar to their mates recognition that seems to hardly exists!
It's been pretty much saying one thing and then another thing that clashes with their probable intent.
I know this is me giving them the benefit of a doubt.
Fortunately, I taught my northern sons our northern ways and they have always appreciated women's abilities, thus one married an attorney and the other's girlfriend is a psychologist.
Why and where is all this leading to, hmm, I bet you are wondering, huh?
Well today one of my fears was realized with our old but sort of working large appliances, out stackable washer/dryer finally proved it had reached its limit of ability to function after twenty years plus of helping us out with cleaning and drying our clothing. It had been huffing and puffing for these last few years, and the fact that the timer for the dryer went backwards but worked became endearing, not too ridiculous, since it still worked as I said. The washer's tub has been flaking and rust has been cleaned often from its top layers or brushed into the washer itself with hopes that it would diminish into pieces while going down the drain, oops maybe, nah, that couldn't have been the cause... oh no it was just too worn out, positively tuckered.
So today after the small load of two fluffy small rugs, bath sized and four doggy stuffed toys were placed in the washer to clean the water decided that it would not drain. After Hubby gave it his professional diagnosis, yes my multifaceted husband even worked as an apprentice plumber while attending the Academy of Aeronautics at La Guardia thus never needing a plumber all of our married years. He pronounced our Kenmore deceased, and used the pond pump and yard hose to remove its excess water.All soaked tub filled items were put into a bucket and then into my bathtub to be squeezed out and rinsed of soap and then put into the still working but reverse challenged dryer top and hours and hours later they are all dry, yep it does seem to run longer than necessary too.
I was the one to call Sears who had the sale on our particular narrow 24" wide stackable, since the cabinets had been specially built around it after the hurricane by a fancy smancy closet company. The sale was less than we had paid all those years ago, then $1100, now $900+ additional wires and stainless hose, but still less than twenty years ago, with free delivery and hook up, yeah!
They even emailed the receipt, but...the receipt had Hubby's name on it, not mine!
First I emailed back telling them my feeling of being insulted by that, and all it got me was the acknowledgement that it was a one way-er; email that is.
I got so frustrated that I called back the store and got a man that suggested I call their Chicago office, but as soon as he put it out there he ruined his concern by calling it rather a frivolous idea though!
That just caused my ire to surface more and so I hung up and I called back the store and asked to speak to the store manager.
He actually spoke with me; he sounded very thoughtful and concerned.
I spoke of the proposed analogy of if it were his wife or daughters being diminished or not acknowledged in value.
The credit card that I used to order the washer/dryer combo was mine first and I had added Hubby onto it, and I have had it since 1976! I think that's why it bothered me. It was if I hadn't called at all. The receipt said Hubby's name only with our address for delivery, I was no where to be found.
Ya know, perhaps its the MS and my inabilities these last few years so when I do do anything helpful I want the recognition as proof I can still do somethings, ya know..., silly, but needy reasoning, I guess...
I let them know how I felt and did not become too agitated and now all is done. Keith Perkins, the store manager, did say he would tell Chicago and it was something to think about...he does have a wife and daughters, by the way, so he could relate...and admitted he was younger than our own sons, Hubby's and mine that is.
Another day of me just doing my thing, yep, speaking my mind, so allow me now to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask all of you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know whom and we will too!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!