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If you see this picture, it means my husband wrote what follows next.

Men go to work, because it is easier.

There, it is said.

Having spent last week working as full time parent and care nurse, I can clearly say that being home with the kids is harder than going to work. Perhaps this is why women are built differently than men. They have more stamina to withstand the long days. They have more multitasking abilities so they can think about their shopping list while doing the laundry. They have more nurturing abilities to still feel love for their children while one child is screaming and the other refuses to read her lesson. Whatever it is that makes women tick, they definitely are better at the harder job.

I recognize that I am generalizing, even stereotyping, but these generalizations are true… at least generally. In society today, we have fought for Parson's model B, while everything in nature and history leans toward Model A. I'm ok with gender roles. I think they are healthy. What's not healthy is the rule that to be a man you have to think that you work harder than your woman. This goes back to Adam's curse, or cave men, depending on your preference, but it is simply not true. It may have been physically harder, but now that most jobs have removed the physical labor, our jobs are not harder in any way. Think about it. Which is more important, building that new product, or building your child's persona? Which is worse, failing to meet a deadline at work, or failing to complete your child's education? Which is more forgiving of negligence? Which is more taxing, dealing with water cooler chat reminiscent of high school, or actually dealing with childishness all day from actual children?

I only wish that I could continue in that misunderstanding. For with it, I could complain that the laundry was not done, or the dishes were not clean, or we were going out to eat too often.

Those days are over. With my newly acquired understanding I will quietly go to work with the humbling knowledge that I am taking the easy route. I will simply allow the things undone to stay undone or do them myself, meanwhile giving all respect for my lovely wife, and her incredibly hard job.

-Dwayne

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