Needed vs. Useful

Here's a post I drafted earlier this summer. Forgive the typos and rambly nature. Maybe it'll be mildly interesting.

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I've been reading the 1861 version of the Civil Code of Austria (the ABGB), which was originally enacted in 1811 after about 40 years of work.

§ 141
It is principally the duty of the father to provide for the aliment of the children, till they can provide for themselves. It is the chief-duty of the mother to take charge of their bodies and health.

Here we have the primary roles of parents explicitly spelled out. Families are defined in very narrow terms: a one man, one woman marriage contract is the legal basis for the family unit. It goes on to say that if the father can't provide "aliment" (aka food), then this responsibility falls to the mother, children owe their parents respect and obedience, etc.

I want to point out that while a lot of the strictness of these rules has shifted in the last 150+ years, a lot of it remains the same. I often feel it would be nice to live in a world where these roles were more well-defined, stratified, and clear cut. Yes, my sphere of influence would be a lot smaller. But I think it might have been more valued.

Right now, my role as wife and mother feels like it's ascribed the importance of a footnote. It's my primary occupation, the main thing I spend my time on earth doing, but nobody asks about my thoughts about it. The nitty gritty details of daily living feel like they are not even worth the words it would take to try to explain the real worries, cares, thoughts, dreams, etc. that I have. For example:

There's a small plastic wrapper on the floor. I better pick that up so that Joey doesn't accidentally put it in his mouth.

The dishes would fit a lot better if we put all of these ikea plates in the front in a row.

John Rex, please put away the vacuum cleaner. That includes folding up the cord.

"Yes, you can help yourself to some candy, but not too much." I wonder what "too much" looks like to her, and I hope it's not actually too much. I don't want to intervene because I think being weird around food, especially snacks and treats, is a horrible plan. Too much candy in the house after the birthday party.

I haven't spoken with another adult all day except for very briefly when my dad dropped the boys off this morning, and he didn't want to stick around much.

Am I just shifting all the clutter around, not actually accomplishing anything? I hate this entropy we live in.

I am avoiding turning on the baby monitor because honestly, I don't really want to know if Joey's crying right now. I think he's not, but what if I'm wrong?

I dropped a penny on the floor earlier. I think I found it, but what if I didn't? I need to make sure I double check so that Joey doesn't eat it.

Stupid Walmart pickup made such crappy substitutions, now I have to go back to the grocery store. But before I can do that, I have to look at our budget. I'm blogging now to procrastinate looking at the budget, which is one of the ultimate least favorite tasks of all time.

Oh, I have to schedule the piano tuner to come out again...

This kind of stuff is so boring. Who would ever want to know about or hear about it. I want to be interesting, fascinating, intriguing, a good companion to all my close friends. I get that rants about potash or whatever the Most Recent Ambition or idea or thing I happened to be reading - I get that they are not always actually that interesting, fascinating, intriguing, engaging, etc. But the mundane crap is so much the less by comparison.

Still, I am incredulous that my main occupation, no matter how boring, is not allowed anywhere on my resume, or within my statement of purpose. It's stupid. Sure, it's allowed, but it's not "professional." It was "strongly suggested" to me by someone in the know to remove the teeeeeeeny tiny four word inclusion of it.

I think I might just rebel and not heed that advice; I am a really strong candidate for this program, and it's not terribly competitive.