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October 9, 2012

The domestic challenge


This is a guest post by Glo Girl Shawn Kelly.


“Gotta go! Dinner’s on and I’m whippin’ up some curtains…”

That is literally how my mother ended our phone call the other day. She was caught up in a whirlwind of boiling pots and lengths of floral fabric stretched taut against the sewing machine.

Who knew you could “whip up” curtains? Is there a whisk involved? A blender? I made a mental note to ask later.


Besides the chuckle I got from her hasty exit, the conversation also gave me pause. She can do a lot. What can I do? (I know, I know! Way to make this about me — typical response from a twenty-something.) But really, I have a mother and two grandmothers who all sew, knit, crochet, bake, cook, embroider, adjust hemlines, and Lord knows what else! Don’t get me wrong, I can cook. (And bake a mean apple pie if I may be so bold). Mom likes to say, “Well, we know she won’t starve,” as though some other domestically-challenged misfortune will surely be my undoing.

Yes, I can sew a button back on and repair a tear (as long as it’s along the seam — let’s not get crazy). But the truth is I won’t be whipping up curtains, hand-embroidering any handkerchiefs, or throwing a patchwork quilt together any time soon. There are certain things I just don’t have the first clue about.

All of this had me thinking… what happened to my generation? Did we miss some kind of mandatory class? I have girlfriends (who shall remain nameless) that wouldn’t know how to boil an egg if their lives depended on it. There has been a definite cultural shift as far as women learning from generations of older, wiser women and I think it has something to do with our easily distracted nature. In the era of internet and smart phones, the world’s information is quite literally at our fingertips. But is it possible that the onslaught of free information has had the opposite of its intended effect? The more we browse, the less we are actually doing.

It’s important of course to put this in Biblical context. Proverbs speaks of the woman who “builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (14:1)  No, I’m not suggesting we take Carpentry 101 and start pouring concrete. But it is interesting how much emphasis is placed on a woman’s skills. Proverbs 31, anyone? She selects wool and flax, working with “eager” hands. She brings food from afar, plants vineyards, and makes coverings for the beds. She trades with merchants and works a spindle. (Really, a spindle?) Talk about Superwoman.

So, ladies, I am officially issuing a challenge to myself and others of my generation. Find a “seasoned” woman who can teach you a skill. Maybe she’s in your church, maybe it’s a neighbor, maybe it’s your own mother or grandmother, but find someone and learn something new! Bring some friends and make an adventure of it! Everything is more fun with fellowship, love, and support.


Shawn Kelly is a writer living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She recently graduated from North Carolina State University and hopes to pursue a career in children’s literature.

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Comments

  1. Renee says

    October 9, 2012 at 5:29 pm

    this is wonderful! what a great tribute to your mom as well as a challenge to your generation…

    Reply
  2. Barbara Davis Sloan says

    October 9, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Great blog & idea, Shawn!

    Reply
  3. Pam Scarboro says

    October 9, 2012 at 6:14 pm

    What a great topic! As I am in the fifty something era I can even see things that I can’t do like my Mother could do! One was working on a farm, cooking three meals everyday from the vegetable garden and the meat from the “smokehouse” or a “yard bird”!!!! We mostly bought staples like flour, sugar and paper products from the grocery store!

    Thanks for such a thought provoking blog!

    Reply

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