Because I work … the working woman’s excuse

I was actually folding my husband’s t-shirts recently after pulling his laundry out of the dryer, and found it somewhat calming. I associated it a bit with nesting. Do other women enjoy domestic activities because it gives them this same peaceful sense? I asked myself why I rarely (and I mean RARELY) fold my husband’s laundry. I don’t even DO his laundry. Why? Because I work.

Wow – is that all it takes to get out of stuff? Just say “Can’t .. I work.”

My answer to that simple question “Why?” was an answer that I suddenly realized I must have used hundreds of times in the past. Like this:

Q: Why don’t you cook more for your family?   A: Because I work.
Q: Why don’t you get to the gym as much as you’d like?   A: Because I work.
Q: Why don’t you know the way your husband prefers that his t-shirts be folded?   A: Because I work.

Am I hiding behind something? Or is this some enormous hidden advantage? An excuse for procrastinating? Possibly. I made a conscious choice to work rather than stay at home. Rarely do I regret that choice but I do think about it when I’m enjoying folding laundry.

Taking on a career means giving up a mammoth chunk of time that may have been used for so many other things – sports, hobbies, child-rearing, domestic activities, classes, and so many self-development activities. Do you feel like you gave up something to have this career?

In Cheryl Sandberg’s Lean-In video  she talks about making your partner your true partner and sharing an equal amount of the homemaking tasks. I do believe this makes for a more balanced life and should be a goal every woman strives to attain. Work-life balance. Because I work is the right answer when it gives you sanity in an insane world.