Probably for the whole of my adult life, but especially since having children and settling in our forever home here, I have been feeling increasingly out of step, and I am feeling a little bothered by it at the moment to be honest, although I know there's not really much I can do (apart from have a little moan - and here we are!)
I remember when I was about 18 or so and studying for my art foundation and started working on my application for art school, we had these mentoring sessions to help us with our application. My tutor asked me what I wanted to do once I had my degree in art. The answer was easy, I just wanted to be a housewife. He was not impressed. I studied art for the love of it, not for my career prospects (which is just as well!)
Before then even, I have always (okay mostly) been quite traditional. Had a dress sense best described as vaguely vintage. Made my own clothes, baked and cooked, grown vegetables, and had a bottom drawer. Things that set me apart from my friends at college but which fitted me best
I haven't changed, but in the last ten years have met my husband, bought our house in the country, had two children, and now find myself at odds with other people in the same position as me. It has been better since leaving the city, where it seems unless you have chosen to homeschool, start your own business, or preferably both, you have no valid reason to opt out of the world of work and stay at home to raise your children and look after your house and husband. It feels frustrating that my decision to marry in my early twenties have children and be settled before I'm thirty has been met with so much more criticism then if I had remained in my university town and mingled about with artists trying to make a career out of it. 40 or 50 years ago this would have been the norm, and instead of finding myself at odds with my peers I would have found myself a part of a community. As it is, I do not know a single person from university who has taken this path, not one.
I suppose my lament is that I feel very strongly that I am living a good life, the best life for me and my family, and truly the life I have always dreamed of, but it is made so much harder and more lonely by living in the 'wrong time'
Like a lot of people my age, my parents split up when I was young and eventually divorced and remarried. My mum went back to work when I was young and wasn't much of a homemaker; she doesn't knit or sew, fix things, or really have any interest in baking or gardening, so I feel there is so much I have had to learn, and am still learning, as an adult that could have been second nature to me. I have a nice group of mum friends in the village, but we don't share the same interests. I am often called Supermum for doing things like baking bread or making jam, and instead of flattered I am annoyed by it. I wish these things were unremarkable.
We have tried the church here a few times, and will probably go back once things are easier with the girls, but there is no community to speak of there. It is all but empty, and the sermons seem to mainly consist of complaining about the fact. And while I'm on a roll, I don't much like being forced to drive to the supermarket because all of the local shops have closed down I don't want to be shouted at to buy buy buy things I neither want nor need. I hate my smartphone and wish there was a way I could get rid of it without totally isolating myself. As it is I've done enough damage in removing myself from social media. I wish there was an obvious way for will to socialise and get to know people here. It seems like most men his age are at a very different stage of life and just want to play computer games after work. Our local pub has been closed for a year now.
I guess that's all just a long way off saying I'm feeling a little lonely. Wouldn't it be nice if we just lived in communities with people exactly like ourselves? Well, perhaps not.
At least I can uphold my fantasy of living in times gone by on my little lane. I have a very nice house with a very nice garden, three very nice neighbours, and no noise or traffic at all! I guess I don't have too much to complain about.
Does anyone have any idea what I'm on about??

To some extent I do understand what you mean.
ReplyDeleteI have even less reason/excuse to be at home as I don't have children, people assume I have when they find out I don't have a paid job. There's always an assumption that I have a craft business, ebay store or something like that for some reason!
I have two sets of friends really - the "career people" I know from uni or wherever who weirdly perhaps share more interest in the slow living, eco friendly, handmade interests I have, then there's the people I spend time with day to day who think all that stuff is a bit of a waste of time and are all about the weekend! So I fall between two stools quite a lot of the time.
I suppose it shouldn't really matter but it's not nice to feel like people are looking down on your choices is it?
DeleteYes it is similar with me. The people I know here don't question my being a housewife but think I'm mad for doing things like using cloth nappies. Friends from uni are fine with that but wonder why I'm not at work!
I hope that I can stay at home once the girls are at school, I'm much more valuable here.
There is a good book called radical homemaking about the decline of the homemaker and why it doesn't work - although I suspect you don't need convincing!
Thanks, I'll look out for the book.
DeleteI only ever wanted husband, family and a quiet life. Never aspired to have pots of cash and work all hours. I've been lucky that my hubby (who is 12 years older than me, so perhaps a generation thing) was happy for me to be a stay at home mum. I gave time to the school as a governor, then at the local community centre where we have book group, knitting group and crafting group so I am lucky to meet with lots of like minded people. We don't go out socialising and are seen as weird? we prefer a quiet life, a flask and a cake and walk or drive into the countryside when not at home. Quiet starts to the day with a cuppa in bed and a read before we begin the day. I do work a little, self employed doing accounts for my sons business but the hours suit me when I want to do them. I don't do social media, I do blog but that's more for me to keep track of what I am making. DH is chair at the local community allotment project so we grow veggies too. So long as you enjoy what you do and feel happy, keep doing it, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks ... maybe they wish they were you?? Could you start a knit and natter group at the church to try and get them a bit more involved?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like the ideal life! Our local community centre has a lot going on and I hope I can be more involved when the girls are a little older. I think everything stalled a bit after I had Hazel and need to remind myself things won't be this hard for long.
DeleteI Think it's a real pity that money is valued so much more than happiness. For years my husband and I both worked - we had lots of money but we were very unhappy. I hope that it starts to become more common again to have a homemaker. Perhaps we have to go there to come back.