Thursday, November 20, 2014

Gender Equality, Marriage and all

Many married women work because it is hard to listen to a man whine/brag all day about what he is doing.  It is even harder when you cannot put food on the table or clothes on your kids backs n pay school fees. Not many women have the heart to bear the sight of a struggling man and so to help out you get a job. Then out of nowhere this beast emerges. The same Man U wiped tears off of n are even hiding the fact that junior has out grown his shoes again starts to nag and pick fights with you. Why? Because he thinks you are competing with him. But you cannot quit because your kids will suffer if you do.

The whole we are equal jargon flies out the window when they hand you that helpless baby you carried for nine months. Then you realize that your mums silence was not out of weakness and her tears were not because she married the brute that you call Dad. She stayed to give you that priceless illusion that all is well.

Most working married women have less possessions than the ones who do not have to work or are single or have no kids. If only men could fix their ego n let it go. Thank her for her support n stop acting like it's a competition. Most fathers will justify not providing with my Dad did even less n I came out all right. But a woman will remember the extra five naira mummy gave me to buy biscuit or how mummy got me those sandals even though her wrapper was tattered. I will keep my job regardless of what it does to my husbands ego. Lemme wear my worn heels n give my babies a few extra clothes and some extra fish. His mama did that for him and I will do it for mine.

Monday, February 17, 2014

The man, his son and his donkey. . .

In case you did not go to primary school or are of the younger generation who did not use those thick "readers", I will give you an abridged version of the tale.

A man his son and his donkey were travelling to a neighboring village on foot with, leading their donkey. People who they passed said they were dumb for not riding the donkey. The man lets his son ride and people began to comment on how disrespectful and manner-less the son was to be riding and letting his old father walk and so they trade places. Of course, the next set of people began to rain curses on the man since he would ride and let his tired young son walk. To prevent this, they both decide to ride the donkey together only for one market woman to exclaim, "You want to kill that donkey? How can that donkey support both of your weights?". Tired of all the criticism, the man and his son decide to kuku carry the donkey only to get more criticism. I do not remember how the story ends.

The moral of the story is that people will always talk no matter what you do. The other moral is what they say may make sense but you really should not listen.