So I have a few strikes against me. There are blonde jokes. There are Aggie jokes. There are even blonde Aggie jokes. I've taken them all in stride, as that seems to be one of the lots of my life.
But. Recently, we played a game of Catch Phrase with some friends-a hilariously funny game by the way. If you have never played, you really should go out and buy it immediately and play tonight. In any case, during this game, one of my teammates was describing a line of longitude-a line I knew as the Prime Meridian. Silence, and all eyes on me. I'm sure I gushed 3 shades of purple at the added attention and praise of knowing the term, and then they all had to go on and on about it. I'll be the first to admit, my "area of expertise" if you will, is I guess not mainstream information. I mean, I don't know how many out there know how to taxonomically classify grasses, or know the functions of a cell's organelles, or know how to draw a Bohr model of Oxygen. These are things I know, along with the Prime Meridian, of course.
But it got me to thinking. This wasn't the first outlandish praise I had received because of a piece of knowledge in my brain; it happens constantly. More often than not, I'll describe something to one of the kids or just simply observe something in my world, and get a look of surprise from someone. Surprise at the information, or surprise that the information came from me-I don't know. But still-surprise. So all this thinking led me to ask-is this an image I am somehow portraying? In my limited research resources, I asked my husband.
Do you want to know what he said? You really don't want to know; but I'll tell you because this is a blog, and that's what it's for. I'm sure as soon as the words escaped his mouth, and he saw the fire fill my eyeballs, he wished he'd kept a lid on it. He said there is a perception that stay-at-home-moms don't really use their brains on a daily basis.
Yep, that's what he said. He did clarify many times that it's not of course, what He thinks, but nonetheless, what The World thinks. There are so many facets to that statement, I don't even know where to begin. But, back to our game night, he said when I came out with my answer, it was surprising on many levels. Yep, I'm blonde. Yep, I'm an Aggie. Yep, I stay home. So in the eyes of the world, I have no brain?
Wow. Like I said, I have some strikes against me already, but I'm not out. I feel I should be shouting my anger from the rooftops, except I'm not really that angry. That probably says something about me that I don't want to acknowledge, but I've taken these stereotypes in stride all these 33 years, and will continue to do so with this newest one. I'm just surprised. Surprised at me for being so naive, surprised at Todd for voicing that opinion, and surprised at the world for thinking it.
Gotta run-baby's up. I think I'll sing the Periodic Table of Elements to lull him back to sleep. :)
6 comments:
Yes, but do you know how to do a dihybrid cross of a plant that has wrinkly seeds and is green with a plant that has smooth seed and is smooth? I am so sad that I was not there to hear this comment from Todd. I think we could have had a ping pong table moment. Maybe we can discuss it when Madison comes to visit.
Ok, that second plant should be smooth seeds and yellow... I guess I should proof my random questions. You get the point. :)
My amazement is that I don't even remember being exposed to the stuff you are such the expert on...rainforests, plants, all the science stuff. All I remember for science class is John Barnes lighting his stool on fire in the science lab. If only that question could be on the test....I am sure no one would be impressed with me.
I think you explained it best - everyone is an expert at something. You my dear are an expert at something that I am in awe of....hard core science.
it's not that i'm an expert on anything-i mean i guess i could be your rainforest lifeline if you needed one. it's just the assumptions that are out there that were so surprising to me. now remember natalie, todd was very adament this wasn't his train of thought. :) you guys can ping pong over ding dongs. :)
in todd's defense, i do feel like staying home with the kids all day does manage to suck the brains right out of my body. i used to be quick, witty...don't feel it anymore. on the other hand, your answer wouldn't of surprised me about you. i think i would be more surprised if you didn't know it, being a science teacher and all.
Yeah...I'm on the fence on this one, actually. SOME SAM's that I've met actually revel in the fact that they don't have to do the "hard work" of thinking all day. Blech.
But, of course there are some really brilliant ones that I know, who revel in mastering academia alongside diapering, who switch between the History Channel and PBS Kids, who think that the best Moms are the ones who can actually answer some of the "why" questions their kids come up with everyday. (most of them read and/or write your blog, natch.)
And btw, you can be my science lifeline anytime you want. Brunettes need not apply.
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