working...

When I was in high school and college my parents didn't want me to work.  They always said that my priority at that time in my life was being a student.  As parents, we've said the same thing to Mary Rollins that we haven't really wanted her to have a job because making good grades and doing ballet were more important than having a job.  There's plenty of time in life to work and if/when you do work in college, make it something that you can translate into future employment goals.  

I wouldn't say that we've implied quite the same message for Will.  I'd be okay with him having a job.  He likes spending money in a different way than his sister does and I think the working world is going to be harder for him, or at least different and he'll have different expectations for himself.

Sometimes I think I'm a bit sexist in my outlook or perhaps it's that I believe his self-worth is going to be more tied up in his work.  Women have the luxury of perceiving themselves as successful, contributing and valuable without that self-perception being connected to workplace success.  It's one of the ways I identify in my head that we really are not living in a post-feminist society.  Our culture (and I wouldn't limit that to just American culture) doesn't value men as much who don't excel at supporting their families financially.  I'm not saying that's right, just saying that's how it is!

With a few short sabbaticals, I've always worked since I graduated from college.  I had about a year that I did some free-lance writing after Will was born and a year that I took off between being the part-time interim coordinator of Greek Life at Transy and then being the full-time Greek life director.  After Mary Rollins was born I worked part-time and honestly, I haven't worked a normal 8:30 to 5 schedule since April 28, 1996.  I've been very lucky that I had skills and abilities that allowed me to work around my family's needs.  Leaving higher education for real estate was both easy and hard but ultimately it was a decision I haven't regretted.  In fact, I like to imagine that I'll still be a Realtor years from now although, I sort of imagine that I'll want a younger partner when I'm 80 (like Will Mathews...scary I just realized Will will be 48 then). 

So that's it for today.  Expect me to still be a Realtor for a long