I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife.
\nAnd, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother.<\/p>\n
Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh
\nfrom a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his
\nex-wife. He is looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I
\nwas ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would
\nlike to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?<\/p>\n
I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically
\nindependent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent
\nupon me. I want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I
\nam going to school, I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a
\nwife to keep track of the children’s doctor and dentist appointments. And
\nto keep track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my children eat
\nproperly and are kept clean. I want a wife who will wash the children’s
\nclothes and keep them mended. I want a wife who is a good nurturant
\nattendant to my children, who arranges for their schooling, makes sure
\nthat they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to
\nthe park, the zoo, etc. I want a wife who takes care of the children when
\nthey are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need
\nspecial care, because, of course, I cannot miss classes at school. My
\nwife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. It may mean
\na small cut in my wife’s income from time to time, but I guess I can
\ntolerate that. Needless to say, my wife will arrange and pay for the care
\nof the children while my wife is working.<\/p>\n
I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife
\nwho will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after my children,
\na wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes
\nclean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that
\nmy personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what
\nI need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife
\nwho is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the
\nnecessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and
\nthen do the cleaning up while I do my studying. I want a wife who will
\ncare for me when I am sick and sympathize with my pain and loss of time
\nfrom school. I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation
\nso that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a
\nrest and change of scene.<\/p>\n
I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complaints about a
\nwife’s duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the
\nneed to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course
\nstudies. And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have
\nwritten them.<\/p>\n
I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life.
\nWhen my wife and I are invited out by my friends, I want a wife who will
\ntake care of the baby-sitting arrangements. When I meet people at school
\nthat I like and want to entertain, I want a wife who will have the house
\nclean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and
\nnot interrupt when I talk about things that interest me and my friends. I
\nwant a wife who will have arranged that the children are fed and ready
\nfor bed before my guests arrive so that the children do not bother us. I
\nwant a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests so that they feel
\ncomfortable, who makes sure that they have an ashtray, that they are
\npassed the hors d’oeuvres, that they are offered a second helping of the
\nfood, that their wine glasses are replenished when necessary, that their
\ncoffee is served to them as they like it. And I want a wife who knows
\nthat sometimes I need a night out by myself.<\/p>\n
I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes
\nlove passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure
\nthat I am satisfied. And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand
\nsexual attention when I am not in the mood for it. I want a wife who
\nassumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not
\nwant more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me
\nso that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies.
\nAnd I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail more
\nthan strict adherence to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate
\nto people as fully as possible.<\/p>\n
If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the
\nwife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with
\nanother one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life; my wife will
\ntake the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free.<\/p>\n
When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit
\nworking and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely
\ntake care of a wife’s duties. <\/p>\n
My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife.
\nAnd, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother.<\/p>\n