Response to "Gender Myth Challenged" article

I forwarded this message from ExchangeEveryDay (a daily message for early childhood professionals) to a bunch of Christian friends. Only one responded. First, read the message:

"Results from a research study of employees around the world reveal that, when it comes to work and family, men and women are more alike than different. This finding conflicts with a widely held assumption that male identity is rooted in work, whereas women place a higher priority on personal/family life.

Findings of the Global Study on Men and Work-Life Integration, conducted by WFD and the Alliance for Work/Life Professionals, include:

• In terms of work identification and personal/family identity, there is little difference among generations or between men and women. Instead, the tangible difference can be found between emerging and developed countries, with work identification registering much higher in emerging markets than in developed ones.
• Finding time for family is especially challe nging for men, and both men and women seek more personal time for exercise and hobbies.
• Business leaders around the world have bought into the business case for work-life effectiveness and have programs and policies in place. However, these programs are often ineffective because managers still cling to the notion that the 'ideal worker' is an employee with few personal commitments."

My friend Charles Bundschu replied so I responded with the following, which will be my blog entry for the day or week or month or however long it's been.

"Hmmm. You are the only friend with the nerve to comment about this email. I'm sure all the rest of my believing friends think I've backslidden and are fervently praying for me right now. But I have always bristled at this assumption about the difference between men and women. There are many reasons why a man might be nurturing and relational (I think) and a woman might be career-driven. I suppose their explanation is that would be an 'aberration' or the work of Satan.

It is true I read in a Christian book that daughters of divorce might focus on career because they don't feel they can trust anybody to ever take care of them (whatever). So I suppose if that's an aberration, I guess I am one. I never gave marriage and children a thought until I was saved and too old to really start that. Instead I ended up working in early childhood where you take care of other people's children and tell their parents how to be a better parent. Interesting, isn't it? Not really my choice, kind of a default where my researcher spirit took me. Oh, well, so here I am, bored out of my skull hoping to have enough spare time to do a little writing. Still a frustrated artist after all these years.

I still envy you your writing job. I'm praying for one, although maybe if I had one I would not have the energy to write my father's biography which I am now doing late at night, keeping me up until midnight so I live sleep-deprived. At least I don't have to prepare lessons for boring sorority girls and worry about impressing a committee and going to (the ultimate in boredom) faculty meetings.

At my last writing job, I thought my copy editor liked me until the owner let my boss go and about half the staff including me and made the copy editor the editor. When they had an opening for an education reporter they did not give me an interview. That's when I knew she didn't like me. I think writing jobs must be pretty rare anymore. If that's not true in California, let me know, although ... I may be here for a long time if not until the end. (Did you hear Camping said he was five months off? So now the end is Oct. 21.)

No, I do not have a storm shelter option unless I go door to door on my block at the end of the apartment complex, and I don't know if those houses have basements or not. My supervisor suggested I call Channel 27 in Topeka and submit the information to 'You report, we investigate,' so I did. Here's her plan: 1) Get a plan, 2) Practice the plan, 3) Our basement doors are locked unless I know 'ahead of time' about the tornado. In other words, 'Sorry, you're on your own, folks.'

Anyway, Saturday, the night before? the Joplin tornado hit, I saw the sky and I had not seen it that bad since the 1966 Topeka tornado that tore up about 1/3 of the city. Like a blender in the sky. It was scary, but I went inside and started playing the piano and the Lord gave me a chord progression I then called 'Peace in the Storm.' Still, it would be nice to have some place to go. I hope Channel 27 puts it on the news about this woman. Maybe that would get her attention.

I'm going to put this email on my blog, since I never put anything on it. I have 5 followers. Do you think that will get me a book deal? Ha, ha.

Thanks for writing. I am green with envy over you and your job. Do it as unto the Lord."