"Do you work?"

Dr. Marian C. Fritzemeier, Ed.D. © 2014
Author, Educator, Speaker

Ever been at a social gathering and someone inquires, "Do you work?"

My gut reaction is, Of course I work. Doesn't every mom work? But I also know the inquirer really wants to know if I hold an important job that requires a college education and offers social status. Another variation is, "Where do you work?" In other words, do you work for a prestigious company and make six figures?

Medical forms also request work information. When I was a young mother I'd respond, "I don't work." But I didn't like how it sounded. It felt like I was less than someone else, less important than a mother who holds a paying job outside the home. My husband and I made the choice for me to be the primary caretaker of our children. So why was I feeling so down when I was doing the most important job at that time?

When our girls entered school, I finally arrived at a creative answer that I felt proud to share. "I'm the Vice-President of the Fritzemeier Foundation." When someone requests my work phone, I simply repeat my home number.  

One day at medical appointment, the doctor inquired, "What's the Fritzemeier Foundation?  It sounds important."

"You're right. I'm impacting the entire next generation by training young people to live independently, develop job proficiency, demonstrate leadership skills, participate in civic responsibilities, and become life-long learners."

"Sound interesting," he nods.

"It's pretty remarkable. No two days are ever the same. It keeps me on my toes."

Back to work.

Image from: Stock.XCHNG www.sxc.hu/ question-mark-1409010-s. Accessed 4/16/2014.