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Those Scary, Scary Trad Wives

 I really hate not having anyone to commiserate over politics anymore.  On the other hand, I've kind of enjoyed taking myself out of the political landscape.  It all just feels so pointless now that we have tipped over the edge of decency and common sense in America.  It's sad and scary, and I've never felt more defeated as a voter and a citizen in my life.

Maybe that's why I've started watching Homeland again now that it's back on Netflix.  And I can't help but wonder if it's back on streaming now that we have a real-live Manchurian Candidate in office.

Of course, I never miss a chance to spend time with Saul.

There are so many current issues to be grossed out by right now....ICE running rampant across beautifully diverse cities, outright non-apologetic bad behavior by elected officials from the top down, cuts across necessary food programs.....yeah....I'm still paying attention even if I don't say so.

But the phenom I'm really bothered by lately is the idea of Trad Wives, or for the uninitiated, Traditional Wives.  The idea here is going back to a "traditional" stay at home wife and mother.  The types that do all the household chores and management including child care, cooking, cleaning, driving and even sometimes educating.  

Apparently, Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk is a supposed leader of this revolution of young women.  I mean, she's the CEO of a company and has worked her whole adult life, so that doesn't seem very "traddy" to me but whatevs.

There are a lot of reasons to be upset by this trend of young women being so willing to give up their educations, interests and personhoods to be the "little woman" at home, but to me the biggest one is this: what if it all falls apart?  Where are you left?  Can you get a good job?  Can you provide for your kids?  Will your husband support you financially if he decides to leave?  And I'll do you one better.....what if YOU decide it isn't working?  What is your fallback plan?  

Many people love to talk about the good ole days in which fewer people got divorced but are often unwilling to admit the real reason why: financial dependency.  

These days a woman can bring home her own bacon, fry it up in her own pan in her own goddamm house.  And it's sad sometimes how tough this has made women have to become.  We have given up a lot of our softness like we've been accused, but really, did we have a choice?  

When my first marriage ended and I was a 34 year-old mother of a special needs child, I was glad that I at least had a college degree and a supportive extended family.  Without that I often wonder how myself and my child may have turned out. 

And I used to be the type to tell young women to do their own thing and exercise their own choices be it career or child-oriented.  But I think I'd take a different approach now with the way America is turning. As we get further and further away from women having choices and equality, I'd say that now more than ever women need to have control of their homes, their finances and their personal choices.  

I never thought the world would be scarier now that it was when I got married in 1999.  But it is.  It's even scarier than when I tried again in 2012.  And for that reason I feel even more committed to keeping my money to myself, my healthcare in my own hands and a ring off my left finger. 

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