WorkMANship

I love men. I REALLY love men! Now anyone who knows me must wonder HOW I can feel this way at this time in my life. I will tell you why.

Any woman will tell you that women can be awful to each other! Wickedly, horribly, vengefully, tongue waggingly, scaldingly AWFUL! I would rather be beat to a bloody pulp than endure the scorn, disapproval and mockery of most of the women I know. Fortunately, there are few that I know (or should I say STILL know) that have given it to me.  Now there are many men that know and will agree that women CAN be awful.   Women are great at manipulation and control if they want to be and there are VERY few things that a (any) woman CANNOT make a man do if she is really intent on making him do them.  She can also make a man VERY sorry in a way no other man can make him.  Yes, women can be awful.

I have never felt the obligation to defend womankind.  I have never felt the need to make up for another woman's awfulness, or a group of women's awfulness or even to try to explain why we knowingly and purposely would inflict our sharp tongues and manipulative tricks on ANYONE...especially those we claim to LOVE THE MOST!!! Nope, never wanted to help any of us look better EVER.

I have watched MANkind come to my aid...try to outdo the last one, try to outdo himself, look for ways to be helpful.. and before you tell me it's because I was wearing a skirt I will tell you that I wasn't (not even makeup) and MOST of these men were happily married or soon to be so.  I genuinely am given the feeling that they are trying to redeem their kind in my eyes...but more importantly that they genuinely feel sympathy for me and my children and they don't WANT us to feel the loss any more than we have to. There has actually been obvious jealousy between men in how we are taken care of....as if the one felt the other had outdone him and then tried to one up him yet again! I LOVE THIS! Can you imagine if women started doing this??? The men would think they were in PARADISE!  Yes, I LOVE MEN, because in their simple and very masculine way they take on one another's sins and attempt penance for crimes they have not committed and it is most completely endearing, quite redeeming actually.  It makes me wish I could change my mind about many a thing.  It reminds me of Someone else who rescued me not all that long ago :) He too felt the need to do penance for evil He had not done.

So WHAT does this all have to do with the commune? Well, I believe we live in an age where men struggle to be men. It is more deeply felt in this economy than ever before where so many men feel unable to provide for their families or even for themselves adequately.   Even the jobs most men do have do not allow them the freedom to lead, dominate, conquer, guide, rule, subdue....probably not all the right words (I am not a man) but there's something about men that just isn't allowed to be all that manly anymore.  Well men, WELCOME BACK!  In a society where the women work together to cook, clean, care for children, school children, care for one another and even hold up one another's marriages men will again HAVE the freedom to be men.  Not only will you all be free to share your skills, combine your skills and  build, farm, hunt, fix, sport, govern AND talk politics...your schedule just opened up! Your wife won't need you to clean up dinner with her or take the kids to soccer or piano, or vacuum the downstairs, or talk to her about her day or take out the trash. Your wife will be talked out by the time you get home (unless you REALLY want to know:)) and she's got ALL the help she needs so kick back and let her bring you an ice cold beverage...better yet go out with the guys and "shoot the breeze" while she and the 4 other wives set their tables and divvy up the casserole and fresh bread they made this afternoon.  Guess what? It's your buddies favorite dish and tomorrow night your family is going to share your favorite with the neighbors!  Pray for your food, tuck in your kids and kiss your wife (did I mention the OTHER neighbors took the kids for the night??) sir! Life is GOOD!  The MEN are back!  WELCOME TO THE COMMUNE!!!