What Women Should Know

It was a few years ago that got me to write this out tonight, but time can be a funny thing, and it seems to speed by before we can grab it with two hands and say - hold on.

This story, and all of my stories have one purpose — to entertain. Typically, I involve myself with a broad sweep of imagination that tackles space colonies, the future, brave adventurous explorers and courageous woman. Space suits are always included, with serious research on space ships as well. Is it possible that women of these futures will bother to decorate for the holidays? I muse - or maybe they will simply relax, and say cheers to the their family on Earth after they return from a full day of Mars surface exploration?

These questions are entertaining to think about, deep within the sunken space colony on Mars, but yet...what about women today? Brave woman of Earth, face daily obstacles with Earth's heavier gravity to weigh them down. Along with full time work, they also have families, and face the stress of holidays, year after year.  I myself have feared and dreaded the holidays, and taken in the mental load, the gender driven responsibilities...and financial burdens. Women who work full time can get very stressed you know, and even experience murderous rage. It's a problem. Not to mention the cooking...

I did find an answer once. Theres really not even much to say exactly. It began when my sister and her husband moved to Park City Utah a few years ago. I didn't know much about Utah then, or Park City, but Park City is an exclusive ski resort town. In the summers, Park City also hosts a famous film festival called Sundance. 

Eventually I traveled there for a visit, and set out for one day of skiing with everyone over the holidays. Laden down with ski boots, ski's and poles, I'd prefer to say that I am a better observer than skier.  As I traversed the slopes, the ski lift, and a restaurant half way down, I studied other vacationers zip around, fall down or flounder in their heavy latched ski boots. How old is he or she? I wondered. How did they get here? Where are they from? Are they parents? What job do they have? Age? Money? 

There were also dozens of snowboarders too, who would stop and sit directly in the slope and take a rest — oblivious to untrained skiers like myself who narrowly avoided them as I rushed past. The snowboarders were allowed here. .

It was fun, but fun and relaxation was also a key message to me concerning Christmas. I watched as couples visiting help their children on ski lifts into the late afternoon. They had no concerns about the holidays, cooking, cleaning, or working. Vacationers both from nearby or from distant countries alike, were not out shopping, cooking or wrapping gifts. These people were out skiing, on vacation during Christmas. After the skiing - a quiet hotel room awaited them,  a hot shower, and dinner perhaps. Maybe a glass of wine and a steak later on after a full day of exercise. It was there in the snow that day, I decided not to judge, rather I thought, and then I took lessons. I had witnessed  how the other half live - but it wasn't about money exactly - it was that they weren't afraid to say the hell with it. The idyllic depiction of Christmas that feeds on women's sense of identity simply did not exist there.

I'm not saying vacations like these don't have a price tag, or that there wasn't years I didn't enjoy hosting the holidays - but I also can't ignore the stress and expectations we drive into ourselves, when the men simply are not that invested. It was that day I understood some women know how to manage their lives, yet refused to be the manager over the holidays.   

I did question details like a tree or gifts - and I was told that sometimes visiting families have the tree and gifts delivered to the hotel room. Maybe thats a little overboard, but when women work full time with children, maybe thats how all women deserve to be treated - at least once.

Some women just do what they want, and from what I saw, they were happy, stress free, and they did it with ease.