Woah Man’s Work

Woah Man’s Work (satire alert is on)

Ah for the good old days where work was separated around the house as man’s work and woman’s work.

Man’s work was taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, raking the leaves and cleaning the garage.  When that was done man could put up his feet, drink beer and watch the game.

Ah the good old days.

These days woman’s work is for both genders.  For the most part man’s work has not changed, but let’s face it, man’s work has always been pretty easy, sweaty perhaps, but still pretty easy.

Woman’s work, on the other hand, we men have found is pretty hard.  Well, not actually that difficult, it is just the difference in gender standards. 

Women believe in “perfect.”

Men ascribe to its “Good’n’uff.”

Women’s standard trumps men’s standard, but often not without a battle.

Woman’s standards have been established by generations of homemakers trying to out do each other.  Clean laundry, clean floors, and spotless dishes are critiqued by neighbors, in-laws and TV commercials.  Anything less than perfect and women will be talked about. Being talked about is serious business to a woman.

Man’s standard of “Good’n’uff” is the result of a combination of lazy and thinking out of the box for a quicker way to do anything.  “Good’n’uff” is also man’s way of doing woman’s work with dignity.  If you do not understand that concept, you are a woman…or maybe a little gay (not that there is anything wrong with that.)

The result of these two standards, and the integration of all housework to be non-gender specific, is a cause of much strife in marriages today. 

Men are expected to do some of the housework, but they can never measure up to a woman’s standards.  Even if they do, a woman worth her salt will find and point out a flaw…if you do not understand this concept, you are a man.

No matter how much I scrub and clean the bathroom, my wife will find a hair where I just finished cleaning.  All rooms have small hairs floating around just waiting for somewhere to fall after it has been wiped, it is a law of nature.  It happens after a woman cleans up, but a man never notices because everything is “Good’n’uff.”

When a man loads the dishwasher a woman always needs to readjust the load to get in one more dish, apparently it saves on water which is very important. 

“You would know that if you paid the water bill!”

A man can put the clean dishes away, but only 90% of them.  Women switch where some dishes go, and women always must finish the job, as if leaving some dishes on the counter isn’t “Good’n’uff.”

The interesting thing about today’s Woah Man’s work is that if a man can actually achieve a woman’s standards it upsets the natural way of things.  When a man does everything just right, a woman feels incomplete.  She cannot concede that a man could learn to do more than just “Good’n’uff.”

A man quickly learns that a woman needs to put her touch on any household chore to feel complete.  Men quickly learn that “Good’n’uff” is actually perfect.  Much like if a woman actually mows the lawn, she will leave a few un-cut clumps to make her man feel special.

And so, battles go and truces are found.