I was playing Old Maid with the girls today. Riley asked what an old maid was, and I changed the subject. I could get into a big ole tangent about expectations of marriage and negative biases, etc. but for one thing, she's four and wouldn't follow me past the first few words, and second, I don't think "old maid" is a term people even use anymore. Not that it isn't still worth discussing at some point, I just didn't think it was worth discussing right then. Regardless, it stayed in my mind as cards were dealt and I separated the little cartoon people matches. Two Doctors. Two Teachers. Two Veterinarians. At least there were women in there, being pilots and bakers, and we'll just pretend the Movie Star isn't clearly holding one of those cigarettes-on-a-stick. Still, most of these people are men. And since when did "Witch" become a profession?
I was sitting there quietly, thinking these thoughts when Cadence said, "Why are all the women in these pictures wearing lipstick?" I looked through my cards. She was right. The Police Officer, the Baker, even the Old Maid wore lipstick. Cadence started flipping through her cards too and said, "You don't HAVE to wear lipstick. Oh I guess the witch isn't wearing any, but still." I nodded and said, "I hardly ever wear lipstick myself."
Riley, silent until this moment, spoke up then. "You don't wear lipstick, Mama. You're just like the witch."
"Yep," I told her. Just like the witch."
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Good observation skills! Ah, lipstick. I recently had to go to the drugstore, and my son was completely confused by the makeup aisle. "What's that for, Mommy?" And all the little teenagers looked at me funny.
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