Maggie's Farm

Chuckled sympathetically at the cautionary misogynist tale on marrying a career woman, but let me caution you Gorgeous Hunks of Masculinity out there: this only works if you can Absolutely, Positively, 100% guarantee that you will always be employed, employable, healthy, etc.

Men should marry the smartest women they can find so they have intelligent children (looks and health and religious faith are good, too), hopefully these same women want to raise kids at home and are good cooks. BUT safer to hedge one's bets and marry a woman who can support the family in a pinch.

I did better in college and grad school and professionallly than my lord and master, but married with the understanding that I would raise the offspring while he did his Wall St thing. When the latter disappeared like the morning dew, savings dwindled, and children were launched to kindergarten, I had to go to work full time to support the family and unemployed hubby. It's been eight years now I've had to work full time in a profession unrelated to my training, interests, or experience (the key thing was flexibility to accomodate my family's needs). No end in sight. Things rarely work out as planned.

I'm no saint. I was a prettier, fitter, kinder wife and definitely a better housekeeper when I was not a career woman. But somebody in the family has to be the provider of money, health insurance, model the work ethic. If the man can't, a career woman can be somewhat useful to the family.

And tho I clean house rarely, I still bake cookies, walk the dog, take them to church, garden, cook a wicked good dinner from scratch every evening for the whole family. Yes, I'm a bad wife, but ask yourselves, Macho Men, if a man who does not provide deserves an especially good wife?