Last night was the tournament night for my Thursday night volleyball team. (Distinguished as such because I’m also on teams Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday nights. I was not exaggerating when I told Tristi I have a crazy passion for volleyball.) At any rate, tournament nights are long. Instead of playing one match against one team which lasts 45 minutes, we play four or five teams one game each. That means we’re there for three to four hours.
The nice thing about tournament nights is all the socializing we get to do, both with other teams as well as our own. Last night was no exception. We talked, we laughed, and somewhere in the midst of it all one of my teammates, Amy, ended up giving me blog material for today.
Speaking Her Mind
Amy’s one of those outgoing, gregarious people who’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind. And she normally has a lot of interesting things on her mind. But she also possesses an uncanny tactfulness. Which I really admire, because when she tells you what’s on her mind, she’s very open about it but does it in a way that’s very diplomatic. It’s quite the skill. (Most people I know who aren’t afraid to tell you what’s on their mind don’t care if what comes out hurts. Amy’s pretty considerate about stating things in a way that don’t compromise her opinions but also don’t sting anyone’s feelings.)
What’s Your View?
Anyway, Amy is a stay-at-home mom. Since I don’t have children myself, lately I find myself asking those who do what their views on Sarah Palin are. It’s a curiosity that was sparked by a blog Michele wrote on Palin that generated some interesting debate.
I pretty much believe Palin’s in over her head and her energies are too scattered. I don’t see how someone can have time to be a wife, a mother with five kids, and a politician. Especially not when one of those five kids is a baby with special needs. That’s just my views.
Why Wives Shouldn’t Judge Wives
However, Amy said something that made me stop and say, “Hmmm.”
“You know how some women feel stay-at-home moms are lazy and don’t do anything except stay home and lay on the couch? And how some stay-at-home moms view working moms as neglectful? They way I see it is that what works for one doesn’t always work for someone else. Our marriages are as individual as we are. If Palin wants to run for vice president, so be it. Who am I to say she can’t? I sort of think it’s sexist because if it were a man no one would say a thing. Plus her husband does seem to be good with taking care of the kids, so if that works for them who am I to judge?”
Rethinking a Position
Amy made me realize that I was doing exactly what I normally rail against. Just like I don’t appreciate people forming opinions about me being a stay-at-home wife, here I was judging another form of wifedom.
Shame on me for perpetuating the wives judging wives phenomenon. Hopefully in the future I can remember Amy’s words and remain more open minded the next time a wife issue surfaces.
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