Just A Housewife

At first the inclusion of a sweet, smart, pretty, classy, Christian mother of five seemed to be a boon to the McCain ticket. How could any one fail to admire what this charismatic young Governor Sarah Palin has accomplished?

However, the media has wasted little time in turning the girl-next-door into just another piece of white trash. That's right, the saint-like accomplishment of raising five children has been slanted into trailor trash; the sweet purity has been smeared as simplicity, and Sarah Palin has been quickly labeled "just a housewife."

"Just a housewife..." I would like to see one of those so-called "ballsy" career women attempt one day of being an organized stay-at-home mom. I'd like to see their pretty little pumps and cute tailored skirts survive the rigors of just one 24-hour period caring for a home, husband, and children.

I've always taken pride at being "barefoot, in the kitchen, pregnant." You see, such a title does not make me trailer trash; it lifts me into the elite category of women who not only "have it all," but do it all, for everybody, every day of their lives.

Shall we review the list of duties a housewife is expected to accomplish, with minimal training, with the expertise and patience of a trained professional?

House-cleaner, nutritionist, cook, nurse, fix-it man, errand girl, chauffeur, laundress, teacher, psychologist, psychic, diplomat, negotiator, accountant, companion/lover, event planner, interior decorator, confidant, gardener, cheerleader, coach, caterer, hostess, and customer service representative.

All of these jobs are to be performed without pay, with little gratitude, and the worst hours imaginable. All the while, the housewife is expected to smile, encourage, and show complete love and patience to all the members of her family. And what's the cost of a mistake on the job? Messed-up kids, domestic unrest, maybe even divorce.

Now I'm not trying to set myself up as a saint; I am merely trying to demonstrate the fact that any disdain shown to a homemaker is not only grossly unfounded, but inexcusably ignorant. It is an exceedingly difficult job and one that few can pull off with grace.

Sarah Palin's accomplishment are, at the very least, applaudable. At most, she is an extraordinary woman embarking on a near impossible quest. Already she is being slandered by men who are intimidated by a confident woman and women who would never have the cahunas to be "just a housewife."

It's appalling that the bravest women in America are discounted as uncredible, but such women have the class to rise above that criticism. We may not be out earning 6-figure paychecks, conquering the working world, or even attempting to effeminize men, but we're staying very busy. And, if I do say so myself, we're doing a pretty bang-up job.

Here's to the housewife, may you continue to be "just" that.