Thursday, December 17, 2009

there's a frum female singer out there who is generally well-liked in my house by myself and sister1. some of her songs have made it to the list of regularly sung songs, along with some JEP songs, Journeys songs (we've finally learned all the correct lyrics, my parents still have a field day with the fact that we used to sing about "religious doorbells" instead of "religious dogma" we were like 8 and 9 at the time) and a few Shwekey tunes.

but i was singing a particular song one day, when i suddenly realized what i was singing and felt the need to explore the lyrics further:

is the way to happiness the path to success
can i be satisfied if I'm something less
than the doctor, the lawyer they hoped i would be
so what if I'm happy just to be me

each day every hour, on me they depend
to be mother a sister, plus a wife and a friend
i have a profession, though no PHD
but today i am happy just to be me

i don't need a license, don't need a degree
for I'm in the business of a woman you see
my life's full of meaning and my home's full of life
i don't need all that money to be doing all right
there's not much vacation, get no time to rest
my house is my office, and my kitchen's my desk
i work for Hashem, yes the Torah's my trade
maybe I'm overworked but I'm not underpaid

i spent at least twenty minutes trying to write out how i thought about this songs, but no matter how i put it, i sounded nasty or just plain stupid. so i'm going to leave the comments to the people who do it best (my readers) and the opinion-giving to those who do it best (my relatives) because i know that you'll either leave your opinion here or tell it to me the next time i see you :)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't tell if this is meant to discourage young single women from getting educated, or to make mothers who have no career feel good about themselves. I have less quarrel with the latter than the former. Disclaimer, I'm currently working full time in a professional career.

Anonymous said...

Aww, thats sounds like a first grade morah! so cute!

Anonymous said...

I just think it is a way of being proud of the job of being a mother. If someone takes it personally and feels guilty that is their problem.

FBB said...

What's stupid about it is the women who work at real jobs and have degrees and licenses and all that, do everything a stay home mom does EXCEPT they also go out and help provide for the family.

Disclaimer...I'm a stay home mom.

Sam said...

I think it's meant to combat the idea that in order for a woman to attain fulfillment, she MUST get a degree and have a solid career.

Which is what most of western culture screams at us.