Yes, I Can

Ms. Knowledge has had a long time hibernating for her blog... but I'm back!   Here's what is on my mind...
I grew up in such a stable middle class household... and not that my social class changed, as I do still have the "inter-generational transmission of wealth"... Well, to be honest, my folks do help me out. I am only child and they are not by means of our society wealthy, but they are okay. BUT I hate in my mid-30's having to ask for support. I should be able to do this on my own, right?  Well, I didn't marry into money. My partner is smart as a whip, but his family is not wealthy... his dad passed away in debt and his mom makes less than I do. My partner is starting a business, which is a long time for us to be "stable" financially. We are not there yet, but I know he can do it.  My partner is smarter than I am by a long run... I may be analytic and have that "PhD", but my partner knows math, literature, computers, etc... My partner is SMART and I say this for various reasons. And he moved his ass here to the Deep South, in a rural town for yours truly "Ms. Knowledge."

But my point of writing this is no thatt he is smart and I have my parents. My point is that not having a lot of money, but also a mind-set of independence has taught me a lot... but sometimes I don't give myself credit for this nor do I think my career in academia does. I can cut my children's hair, dye my own hair, wax my own eyebrows... yea, you think that might be simplistic, but really how many people do this and are proud that they know how to do this? I drive a shitty looking old car, but it runs and I am saving the environment from another car. I know how to skim coat walls, put up dry wall, use a paint sprayer, know what lead based pain looks like, how to caulk just about anything, and many other things... and I am a woman. Yes, I am proud. I learned the chemistry behind much of this stuff this summer remodeling our old house. I dress my kids and myself with style and most of our threads come from thrift stores...

I may not be able to afford to take my kids to all the "commercialized amusement parks" they would love to go to, nor travel to exotic places. But I know how to do many things on my own or with my partner's help. And while sometimes I think this sucks because I don't have the money to get my eyebrows waxed or hire a contractor, I step back and say, "I know how to do this." I am a person that knows how to be independent and do things that some people (or woman) do not know how to do. My career may not always acknowledge this, but I will.  Yes, I can.