Are you JUST a mother?

I just ran across an article from a newspaper that I have saved from a very long time ago, I thinks it's great information for all of us MOMS!

Below is the article:

A few months ago, when I was picking up my children at school, another mother I knew well rushed up to me.  Emily was fuming with indignation.  "Do you know what you and I are"?  she demanded.  Before I would answer - and I didn't really have one handy - she blurter out the reason for her question.  It seemed she had just returned from renewing her driver's license at the county clerk's office.  Asked by the woman recorder to state her "occupation", Emily had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.  "What I mean is", explained the recorder, "Do you have a job, or are you just a...?"  "Of course I have a job", snampped Emily.   "I'm a mother."  "We don't list, 'mother' as an occupation...'housewife' covers it,"  said the recorder emphatically.  I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time our own town hall.  The clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and pssessed of a high-sounding title, like "official interrogator" or"town registrat".  "And what is your occupations?"  she probed.  What made me say it, I do not know, The workds simply popped out...

"I'm...a Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right.  I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words.  Then I stared with wonder as my pompous pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.  "Might I ask", said the clerk with new interst, "just what you do in your field?"  Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply,

"I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn't?)  In the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said 'indoors and out').  I'm working for my masters (the whole family) and already have four credit (all daughters).  "Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it).  But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers, and the reward are in satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing not of respect in the cler's voice as she completed the form, stook up and personally ushered me to the door.  As I drove into our driveway buoyed up by a glamorous new career, I was greated by my lab assistants - age 13, 7 and 3.  And upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model (6months) in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.  I felt triumphant.  I had scored a beat on bureaucracy.  And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to manking that "just another..."

Home...what a glorious career.  Especially when there's a title on the door.

FROM ONE MOM TO ANOTHER - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Debbie @ Deb's Special Connections