Several months ago my dad told me I needed a housewife. At the time I think I was probably whining about doing housework at 8pm after I'd gotten home from work. So I laughed and agreed. In retrospect the comment was probably a little sexist but, well, my family tends to make inappropriate and tell politically incorrect jokes all the time...and they're hilarious.
My dad is in no way a sexist man. Quite the exact opposite, really...especially since he raised my sister and I to be very independent and self sufficient women. Nevertheless, as I tidied up the kitchen tonight after dinner I that comment came to mind again. I think its sort of symbolic of a bigger desire: companionship.
These days most people don't have much of an incentive to get married, or otherwise commit themselves to someone. Men and women are equally capable of caring for themselves. It really just boils down to the fact that people desire company.
Don't get me wrong, I love walking into a quiet house and just doing my thing, but when it comes time to cook dinner or tidy up or curl up on the sofa to watch a sitcom its just a lot more enjoyable when you have someone to share that with. Then, there is something that is just sort of nice about making someone else happy; being able to do something small that makes a difference for someone. Because I think its actually quite healthy to think about someone else's life before your own. While I certainly do not endorse the historical mandatory housewife persona, I think that being a true friend and companion means you have to, in some sense, take care of someone. And yes, sometimes it can be just as nice to have someone take care of you every once and a while.
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