I have decided that as a closer to 32 year old female, I now truly understand the actual definition of inundate...
For the majority of my life I, as most females, have been overrun with images of what a female is "supposed" to be; pretty, thin, hair done, make up "did", manicured hands with pedicured toes, a lady in the streets but a freak in the bed...
Then there came the societal pressures of expectations; be a good (but not too good) girl, go to college, get a good job, find a good guy, date, get married, buy the perfect white picket fence house, and be the perfect house wife while holding down a full time job - no object out of place in your home that is supposed to look like a model and dinner on the table every night.
Yet, most recently, is the constant barrage of babies/families - you know, those little stick people that are supposed to take up the rear window of your minivan. Facebook is flooded with images ranging from newborns to almost teens, birthday parties, family nights in, family days out, soon to be grandparents, and even grandbabies! Not to mention random boxes of baby formula that show up unexpectedly at your door, the adorable children in the shopping cart next to you, women's magazines gearing pages and pages to how to cope with your teens technology use or how to be the "more perfect" mom, Gerber mailing you about their grow up fund, the over arching, out of place, can't really hang out with or be invited to things because of the lack of children, adorable aisles and aisle of clothes, toys, and shoes, and lets not forget the brain to heart to biological clock battle that wages war on a regular basis. Did I forget to mention people who look at you oddly (ranging from young children to great grandparents) when you respond "No" to the question, "Do you have kids?" and then they really aren't sure how to proceed so it can look like anything from "how's the weather" to "but why, you ARE a teacher?"
This, my dear readers, is the true definition of inundation, and if you are not a childless 30 something female, you may not understand; this is not a war on any one thing in particular but just the constant bombardment that is only a bombardment because we, as a society, have allowed it to be. I love the pictures that my friends and family share, and I love being able to partake in all of these moments, but know that for many of us who are in this position, it may not be a simple answer, choice, or even something that we want to talk about. Sometimes if we seem a little "zoned out" as those around us go on about their families, know we may not be being "stuck up" or a bitch, it may be that there is a lot more to our story that you don't see or maybe we really don't like kids, but isn't that our life choice to make?
Society, please stop assuming that because women are in their thirties that we need baby formula reminders that we haven't yet had kids, and we do not live in a fish bowl so please stop looking at us like we have lost our minds when the kids question answer is "No" - You have not had to walk in our shoes, you do not know our stories, and just because it seems weird, it isn't.
On that note, I would still like to partake in all the awesome babiness/familiness that my friends and families allow; just please stop sending me baby formula and Gerber Grow Up Plans!
Sincerely,
Overly Inundated and Completely Over It
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