I get told a lot that I'm wasting my talents by being at home. I get told by friends point blank that they don't stay at home because they don't want to waste their talents. To be honest with all of you, I usually won't approach the topic at all because it's so controversial among women and usually steps on a lot of toes and for awhile I didn't even want to blog about it in this way but since it's in my face all the time and on my mind I decided to write about it anyway.
What does that mean? And I'm not asking that in a smart way at all, I very honestly want some comments on what that means.
I've been home for two years now and I hear it (or some variation) almost every week when I go to church (that's honestly no exaggeration). I get asked constantly (usually by the same people) when I'm going back to work and told not to waste my talent and that they too would stay home but they don't want to waste their talents.
I loved my job and while I worked hard to get it, I always considered it just a job. Yes I'm a college grad, yes I worked in jobs I hated before landing my "dream job" but it was still just a job to me. It was a place to go and make an income. If I have to go back it'd still be that, I never felt it was where my talent layed. Even before children if I'd had the choice I would've been doing something else.
But that's just me, there are many different types of jobs out there (surgeons, concert pianist, etc). So I don't want to say it doesn't take talent to work certain jobs. I worked in a daycare for awhile and I didn't feel that was mindless work either when I was there. I guess I'm hurt when I hear women say this, not because they're implying I don't have talent I'm just hurt if they think this is the only place or way to display talent is by going to a job. Is that the case or am I wrong?
And it's weird to think that if you're at home than you're suddenly talentless.
What is the stereotype of staying at home? Is it a lazy job now? Worthless?
It's up to the individual if they choose to work but why not say you choose to work because you like what you do. There's nothing wrong with that at all. You can work because you're good at what you do to, again nothing wrong with that. But should we apply the word talent to it.
I just looked up the word talent in the dictionary and do you know what it means? :
1.
a special natural ability or aptitude:
Did anyone notice the word natural in there. I went to school for 4 years (actually 5 now that I think about it) to get the training to do what I did for a living. It wasn't my talent. It wasn't natural.
Mozart was a natural at the piano. Beyonce seems to be a natural singer. I'm sure they used training to enhance what they could already do but the talent was already there it was natural.
But then I'll be fair because the second definition of talent does say:
2.
a capacity for achievement or success; ability:
So maybe my job was a talent I don't know. I guess the question I really need answered is am I wasting my talent? Seriously. Or can't I excercise other talents? Don't I have other talents? Don't you?
Do I have to work at a corporation to showcase my talent? Is that the only way for us women to show that we have talents?
I'm really curious about this topic. Not so much whether women should stay home or not that's not the topic. But rather women feeling their wasting something by doing it. That's what I really want to know. And the term "talents" is what I really want to harp on because that term (or some variation of it) is usually used.
Maybe I'm different but even when the kids go to school I'd like to explore other things, if Sam's ok with it and if we can afford it. I'd like to start volunteering my time at our children's home not too far from my house. I won't be getting paid for it but it's something I'd like to invest time in while Nathan and Peyton are in school. Is that wrong since I won't be making an income? A lot of people expect I'll be going back to work when Nathan and Peyton are school age. Actually that's not a goal or desire of mine. Is that wrong? And that's another question. Is the talent in what you do or in what you make?
Do you feel less if you're not bringing in a check? I have to admit it was weird the first Christmas buying Sam something, knowing I wasn't bringing home a check per se. But honestly with all the work I do around here those feelings left pretty quickly.
This isn't directed at the people who have to work to help support their families. JOr even the people who choose to work because they like it. Just at the people (women actually) who feel like they're wasting something if they're not working.
Or is it just a personal thing to the individual. How and why do you feel that way?
And I get these comments point blank to my face a lot. How should I, as a person who chose to stay at home re act? I'm not really sure. Should I be insulted? Or feel less?
I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I just want a lot of feedback. Feel free to email me directly.
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