So how many parenting blogs have you read where mom is grousing about the CRAZINESSS! The INSANITY!!! of her day? ...packing lunches and making breakfast and "Oh, honey? Have you put on your deodorant? Have you brushed your teeth? Clean underwear?", signing the homework logs and cleaning up the dog barf and writing a check for band fees while trying to remember why the cat is out of food... (and that all before 7 am). Have they written about the after school juggling? The overlapping activities full across town while trying to assure all homework is done BEFORE the night's ventures, equipment makes it to the activities, all permission slips are signed, and crabby children get a quick peanut butter sandwich between soccer and baseball so they don't explode in the middle of practice? And if said mommy just happens to be a PTA president or something, she might grouse about how in the middle of girl scouts she gets the "Hey aren't you the PTA president? Find out if I can have a voter registration booth during Back to School night?" or "How do I get an article in your newsletter and get a bulletin board in the school?" which is all fine and well except that I (I mean, fictional mom) didn't have time to switch hats between "Mommy" and "PTA president" so all these bits of scattered information are flying around in an over-exhausted mind, and oh sh*t I forgot the kids are out of bread and pretzels for lunches so we have to go to the grocery store before going home and I had a long tedious day at work in front of the computer and while I'm at it in the grocery I'm SO definitely buying myself another bottle of wine.
And this is why women are mommies and men are daddies. I give myself permission to generalize in this post because I am on the brink of crying from exhaustion so I give myself permission for just about anything. Mommies are multitaskers. Mommies must be able to remember to start the washer while cleaning the hamster cage while putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher and then remember to buy the jumbo sized book cover at office depot after dog obedience class. Mommies are the gatherers and men are the hunters. Gatherers must be able to scope out the terrain and memorize the locations of the blueberry bushes, the fig leaves and the potato patch (I'm making all this up). Men are the hunters, who focus in on ONE victim. They must block out all distractions and be able to track and follow that ONE prey.
One focus. Hunter. Daddy
Broad focus. Gatherer. Mommy
So while I try to catch my breath between gulps of wine and scarfing down my favorite comfort food of spaghetti with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and spicy tomatoes, I can comfort myself by the fact that I am a damned fine example of the natural evolution of social conforms. I did a grand job of gathering today.
(And I LOVE the hunters as well. Gotta have 'em. But it'd be nice to switch for a few days. Maybe I'd better think about that before making the offer. Plus, I know some daddies who are more gatherers than hunters. There. I'm making my generalization all better now.)
P.S. - those of you with kids in school? Go hug your PTA president. It's like being a mommy of a whole organization. Tain't easy.
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