Women Building Fences
I’VE NEVER DOUBTED that women are perfectly capable of digging post holes, pouring concrete, and nailing up rails and boards. But I’m surprised when husbands watch wives digging post holes. I’ve noticed this phonomea here on my block with three wives out building fences this month with husbands standing by.
Curiousity overwhelmed me. So I asked. The answer: no, women do not prefer to weld picks, shovels, trowels, and circular saws! What is going on?
The age of equality has arrived. All three of these pick welding women are stay at home moms. Husbands and wives have agreements, and the agreement is wife takes care of the house, all of it, while husbands work for family income. I don’t believe my neighbors are that different from couples in any other neighborhood.
Is this a good deal or a bad deal? What do you think? Leave a comment or email me.
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4 comments
An arrangement/agreement is an agreement. End of story. I think it varies from person to person whether or not they like the arrangement. If the man likes his job and the woman likes splinters, then good for them. If not, time for a new arrangement.
Maybe she will finish the fence and then lock the gate and then………not give the key to the observing husband. These women seem to have to prove something. Not necessary. Frost said “Good fences make good neighbors” but he wrote it with cynicism behind the words.
And did you go over, like a good neighbor and offer to help any of these gals?????
“And did you go over, like a good neighbor and offer to help any of these gals?????”
Alis, this is a good question. In one case, the husband was laying close by watching his wife swing a pick. (!) I almost offered to dig the post hole for her on the spot, but if I had the lounging husband have felt put down, resulting in the marriage being disturbed. Later did talk to the wife alone, and offered to help, lend tools, or provide advice.
In the second case the wife was so hostile I decided its best to leave unexploded IEDs alone; let the husband defuse that one.
In the third instance I did end up finishing the work, 16′ of good neighbor fence. The husband later informed me he just didn’t have time to fix the fence.
Nellie’s comment above is perceptive. All three of these couples are under 35. Young couples should be left alone to work out their marital agreements.
These particular men seem to have the world view that if women want to be men, then they can work in the dirt with pick and shovel like men. And this seems to be the modern view. Two of these three wives appear to share this view. Another factor is the majority of younger men today just don’t know how to do this type of work.
Perhaps the second lady was pounding the fence post instead of doing harm to her husband. It is true, that some women I know absolutely love doing carpentry and such. One of my close friends was thrilled when her husband bought her a leather tool belt for Christmas. I agree with you about “pricing for the market”…Some sellers are sure that since their home has fancy faucets and organized closets…that their home is worth so much more than their neighbors..or any home on the market. What makes a good agent is one who is professional enough not to list it if the sellers want too much. And a good agent also gives them the “facts” of life about the real estate market. Too many agents will take any listing at any price (especially if they began their career in the “just write it up” hot market). They just don’t get it. And perhaps they never will. And that’s okay! Except that it isn’t “okay” for the people whose homes they have listed. Reasonable expectations is the rule!! Alis
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