Wednesday, June 1, 2011

What Makes You So Sure?

*I have 6 children, so I must be a fertility goddess. What makes you so sure?

*Having 6 kids means that I have easy pregnancies and uncomplicated births. What makes you so sure?

*My 6 kids are all healthy, so I must have never experienced loss. What makes you so sure?

*Being able to raise 6 kids means that we are wealthy. What makes you so sure?

*Having 6 kids means that your house is a mess all the time. What makes you so sure?

*My kids attend a Montessori grade school, so we must be new-age weirdos who aren't that interested in education. What makes you so sure?

*My mother is the administrator of my kids' grade school, so that must mean I know everything that goes on there and my kids get a "free ride". What makes you so sure?

*I'm overweight, so I don't eat healthy foods or exercise. What makes you so sure?

*Being a Catholic only means you have to be good person; the "rules" are optional. What makes you so sure?

*I will tell you the truth even if it means I disagree with you or it makes you "feel bad", so I must be an insensitive and intolerant jerk. What makes you so sure?

I smile a lot and always make jokes, so it's OK if you dismiss me or take me lightly. What makes you so sure?

*I am a stay-at-home mom, so I am available to do all of the volunteer jobs at school/church because I have so much more free time than working moms. What makes you so sure?

*I have a passel of children, I don't work, I practice my faith, and I like to make my own decisions regarding my health and the health of my kids, so I must be an ignorant Bible-thumper who bases all her decisions on religion and emotion. What makes you so sure?

I fit the particular mold of who you think I am, so you can assume a lot facts about me and treat me accordingly. WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE?

*The above statements are ALL actual statements/questions that have been spoken to me by other people and, usually, on more than one occasion. 

4 comments:

  1. Preach it, Mary Kate! It's very interesting the way people naturally want to pidgeon-hole or stereotype people. I guess it makes it easier to organize and categorize us. Too bad we're humans and not recipes... ;)

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  2. Thanks, Dweej! I have seen this for years and it really chaps my hide. It's really just a form of (get ready! I'm gonna use *that* word) prejudice. Which stems from ignorance. I try to keep that in mind, so my Catholic upbringing usually takes over and I don't get my feelings hurt or carry a grudge.
    You're very right that, as humans, we all try to pigeon-hole people. I just which people would really try to overcome that tendency, and see that the best thing of all is another person's ability to surprise us with WHO they are!

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  3. Great post!! It's terrible that some people ask/comment about subjects that they would be mortified if someone asked/commented to them.(does that make sense?)
    The worst part of it is when these things are said right in front of little ears--I hope they were not in your case.

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  4. Thanks, CCC! I absolutely agree with you and I am sorry to report that most of those comments *have* been made in front of my children. Makes me even more worried when I see how the older kids are beginning to feel the pull of society's influence even more. :(

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