Bon Journal

The monotony of a housewife's daily existence

"Marriage is monotonous," complained my married friend.

"Why is it monotonous?" I asked.

People who grow up reading Harlequin Romances and Barbara Cartland novels are hopeless romantics. In these love stories, the ending is always about the kind of everlasting love that results in marriage. That marriage is monotonous is hard to believe.

She enlightened me with her daily existence.

"I have to do the shopping, cooking, ironing, and cleaning for two people. That takes up all my time. I have to take care not to be resentful that all my work allows my husband to focus on his career and bring in the income for the two of us.

Of course, he appreciates what I do to keep the house tidy and free him to have a career.

But what about me? Housework is repetitive and boring. I try to vary what I cook, but I can't vary the ironing and the cleaning. Even if we get a dishwasher, there is still the loading and unloading of dishes.

If we're going to have children, I'd better stop complaining and get used to this. There will be more work, and I'm sure I will feel less appreciated."

One mother said that she copes with one eye closed. In other words, she tries not to mind the mess, the chaos of raising children and the inability to keep everything in order all the time.

Another said that there's no time to think about how you feel. You just do it.

Perhaps my married friend needs to become so busy that she won't have time to think that her daily existence is monotonous. And if she can keep one eye shut, she might not notice how much housework needs to be done.

28 March 2004 Sunday

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