Maybe I'm not Crazy

An aquaintance of mine, Tina,  posted this on her blog  just  yesterday.  She called it "Occupation":

[My husband] and I were at the post office a few weeks ago jumping through the necessary hoops in order to get a U.S. Passport. We had our photos taken, and then sat across a table from our "interviewer". We had previously filled out the appropriate forms and just needed to turn in the suggested personal identification and have the "interviewer" sign the paperwork. Since we had filled out the forms on the Internet, each blank space required some sort of filler. [My husband] had no problem filling his out, but when I came to the blank space that read: Occupation I tabbed over it, only to find out that Occupation required filling. In a rush I typed Stay At Home Mom. As the "interviewer" looked over my paper work she said to me, "Stay at home mom? Wow."

It wasn't, "WOW!!" It was more like, "wow." with an accompanying, but ever so slight, eye roll.

Feeling embarrassed I added, "It wouldn't let me leave the space blank." In which she responded, "I think it's great. I respect that," which I knew was a complete lie due to the slight eye roll just moments before.

It's been bothering me ever since that day. But what's bothering me isn't what she said, but that I was embarrassed about my answer. I am in no way embarrassed that I'm a stay at home mom. Not at all. So why did I let her get to me like that?

I wanted to post about it, but couldn't, and still can't, find the words to articulate how I feel about it. Amazingly, Laurel (at The Tea Party Place--and the mother of a beautiful 8 year old girl that [my son]has a teeny, tiny crush on) addressed this exact subject on her blog. I'm going to post the links for you to read because they say exactly what I would have, had I been able to put the thoughts into words.

First of all, thank you, Tina, for your kind regards.  That experience makes me feel like these latest posts aren't just crazy rants.  That there are, in fact, real life events that point to a cultural attitude that needs adjusting. 
 
Those eye rolls and empty spaces are loud voices of disapproval. They ring over and over again in our ears, and if I can be a voice of opposition for women like Tina,  for women like me, then I am glad for it. 

No woman should be made to feel "less-than" because she chooses to stay home and mother her children.

Ever.