I was quite happily waiting at the doctor’s surgery for my monthly blood test yesterday, when I picked up a newspaper. There was a full-page article devoted to things that ‘make women seethe.’
Interest piqued, I read further, expecting to see examples such as schools still closed since last Thursday, the shocking price of petrol or the lies men tell on dating websites (and the 10-year-old photos they post up). Well. Oh, to have a life where stepping on Lego or forgetting to turn the dishwasher on was all that made me curse.
Apparently, the following everyday annoyances can make a woman rage:
- Misjudging kettle water levels
- Getting an itchy nose while washing up
- Useless ribbon loops sewn into clothes
- When the wind blows your hair into your lipgloss
- Getting a full bag out of a pedal bin
- Catching your sleeve on a door handle
Well, excuse me if I don’t rush over with tea and sympathy. I also object to the misogynistic tone of the article, which places women fully in the ‘helpless, silly people’ category, where all we worry about is not being able to pull our wellies off or how to deal with tangled wire coat hangers. Let’s leave the serious issues to the men, don’t worry your pretty little head, there’s a good girl, eh? This may as well be journalism from the 1950’s.
Can you imagine a similar article, yet written about men? Would men really rage about scratchy clothes labels, a tissue in the wash or needing to drain a ‘no drain’ tuna can?
Anyway, in the interest of balance, here’s my MS list of everyday things that make me seethe:
- People thinking I am drunk after half a glass of wine
- My robot, wonky walk when my legs won’t work properly
- Waking up half-blind
- Tripping over my own feet. Repeatedly.
- Reaching for my coffee cup and knocking it over
- Not being able to wear high heels
- Trying to explain fatigue for the zillionth time
I’d better stop there. I could go on. And on. But I just got lemon juice in my eye and I am seriously raging…..