Follow-Up To: "A Woman's Nation", Really

Today the First Lady of California, Maria Shriver discussed the rising number of woman earning more than their mates. I found this very interesting for several reasons. First, there's actually politicians spending our money to discuss what we already know. That women receive 77 cent to the $1.00 the men earn, which hasn't changed since I was a young women entering the work force, 40 years ago! Second, the sterotype that males are the "breadwinners" are the direct result from a life-long teaching that husbands are the head of the household.
Let's not confuss these areas of life as we live it, not know it. Thirty years ago, most women "were" stay at home moms, baking the pies, swoping receipes, running errands, car-pooling the kids to soccor, getting the budget allowance and not thinking to question where the rest of the paycheck went.
Most women carrying the higher income levels today are the combined results from several factors. Men, after 20-25 years at the same jobs find themselves unemployeed for a varity of reasons. Any of which will not and don't matter at that point. OF course it stands to reason that if the women was employeed at the time of her husbands layoff making an annual income of $80,000, she's the breadwinner! Give me a break. That figure was just calculated into the ratio of working women with higher incomes! REALLY
However, study shows that women in Management and/or own their own business carry a higher rate of production & growth. Added with the fact that women still struggle with the fight for rights & equal pay and for many years the results reflect these women out produce their male counterparts in the work force but not the income catorgory. Why is that acceptable & why do we need to pay government official to discuss this matter without a sound resolve?
The Shriver Report reflects the upward trend of more women being the "breadwinners" and is becoming more comfortable by both women & men. It would appear to me that in most situations where the women is the breadwinner, it's primarily due to a company lay off, not by family decisions. This is not to say, we, women, wouldn't appreciate the pay our counterparts receive simply for being men. Our socity dictates women to be Mothers, Partners, Stay At Home Mom's, etc.. Not the breadwinners. So most don't plow ahead with the intention to devote our lives to a career leading to the major income levels necessary to provide for a family comfortably. Not to mention, most young men are not equipt by standards to accept a more powerful counterpart in a new relationship/marriage.
Another interesting area of this inquest is the question with how to deal with the struggles? As previously stated, we're taught that men are the heads of the house! Yet women are assumed to take on the multi-task of children, home & job, etc..Where as up until only the past few years men were expected to be the breadwinner, mow the lawn, keep the car running, and go camping at least once a year, really. The struggle to release the title is more difficult than accepting your wife's income as higher than before your layoff. However, on the other hand, for most men, not being the breadwinner is emotionally difficult & sometimes even embarrassing.
So, how do women continue to be the "Perfect Mom", "Beautiful Wife", Nice Neighbor, & Breadwinner when the insurance coverage no longer exsist after her husbands layoff and her husband can't compete with the young generation that gets the job, even with 20 + year experience? The women takes on more responsiblity at her job, makes all attempts to climb that corporate ladder. But at .77 per the dollar, there's that total 30% plus family insurance coverage that will never be recovered!
I think the new stay at home Dad, if between the ages of 25-35 will and can make the necessary adjustments to take over Mom's resposnibility of the home. However, lets not forget the man that after 25 years at the same company, now at 55+ years of age, needs & realize's that his wife should be earning the equal pay that we have been discussing now for over 30 years.
My question is this; What does Hillary running for the Presidency, or Pallin being a possible candiate in the next election have anything to do with the point in question? Whether our country is ready for a Women in such a powerful position or not is not the point. Until the changes to do what is correct and right by all persons, which is to pay a PERSON for the abilities they perform, we, as a society will never be ready for a women in power because we will always find reason to demen that position & the title rightfully earned by her.

"Your The Boss, So Set Your Own Hours"

How many times have we all heard this phrase from an advertisement, "Be Your Own Boss & Set Your Own hours! Rarely, if ever, does anyone hear a business owner actually make this statement. And we all know why. However, the thought of owning one's business is appealling to us. The adventure is as colorful as an empty canvas in front of an artist, pondering the wonderful results of his work as the desire & inspirations build! So, now we have the dining room table set up as your desk, the house phone running cord through the floor board, some note pads, your favorite writing pen and ready, set, go! Some strong advise, never register on line to register your company. This process takes weeks & weeks, and isn't cheap. In the meantime,business is up and running.I'm spreading the word, answering the phone, " Greeting Callers with the Company Name, searching government sites, the bank account is set up with less than a shoe string budget, $5.00. etc.. Hey, the artist sells his work before it's complete! Six weeks into my new adventure & Dun & Bradstreet call at 9PM, WOW! DO I feel special. At least for the inital first 60 seconds until I learn that the company name is already in use in the United States & they ( Dun & Bradstreet) can't allow this. And who would have guessed, this other company is located in Texas ! I'll discuss that at a later date. If you have ever opened your own business then you realize this means I had to repeat a few steps already resolved in my mind. The State registration, Dun & Bradstreet, are two big time consumming events. Not to mention I had to retrain my response of who I was and that wasn't easy.
So, now we're up & running, I have a partner with 30 years experience working with the government. As he constantly reminds me! However, he never told me of the government registrations reguired to do business with the State and Federal Agencies. In retrospect, this isn't a surprise. A real surprise today would be seeing my partner stepping out of his safe-bubble to follow protocol. Ladies, you all know what I'm speaking about there.
Now, lets see, there's CCR registration, ORCA registration, additional Dun & Bradstreet registration and up-keep. Which none of these could possibly be written in english and made user friendly. These are governemnt reguired documents. It took me an agonizing four weeks to complete the CCR registration. Talk about pulling your hair out. Actually, I wanted to kill the person that talked me into going into business and still feel that way, everday. Talk about commitment. 24/7/365 when working with any government contract, especially if it's involving facility maintenance as is the case here.
Then there's that ugly word; tax. Ladies, this is another learn as you go system. Don't try to build capital by not taking an income, the State assumes you take what you want, therefore paying estimated tax of $1000.00 quarterly is demanded. Every time I turn around, there's a tax to be paid. Don't misunderstand, I believe we all need to comply and do our part to support the system. However, this feels like over kill when the shoe string is already tied!
Then there's the company statements that must be prepared, inital minutes that must be recorded, office documents created for uniformity, bank records & book keeping, database to maintain on each project, site visits to attend, new sub-companies to meet, SBA registrations for additional benefits of working with the government. Such as the 8A program. Which would grant my company special previlages once certified 8A. However, the process takes me into retirement at this point in time. Talk about more fun.
At the end of the day, what's waiting for me. Well there's the two dogs to walk & feed, dinner, forgotten laundry,a husband that seems to innocently do everything the opposite as to how it should be. I bet all you woman understand exactly what I mean there. Family arrangements to make & follow up on, and so on.
Juggling the maze of responsibiites and duties isn't all that clamorous & beautiful.
I'm a bit selfish at this point in my life. I want to have the money & time to enjoy some of the real relaxing interest of a woman my age. Now there are many people that depend on my commitments in this business and there's little room to make any changes without negledting true responsibiity.
So if you have the secret to juggling business/career/personal life while growing and maintaining both, lets hear it. I'm completely open to advice, venture and promise.
To all you busy business woman out there, do enjoy today!

Diane

Fetching Rocks

Now, today was one of those days when you know you've worked too hard when the dog's says it's time to get feed and it felt like maybe 11AM! Of course you realize it's been raining all day & no doubt the Sammy & Bentley (the dogs) have learned they will go for a walk after dinner. So there's no getting out of the rain routine today or for the next four days according to Google Weather Report! They may have learned that after dinner we all go walking, but no one has learned I go through the door first. Why don't they remember this? My neighbors have probably set the clocks to watch me foolishly being pulled sled-dog style down the steps. I really don't always feel like going this walk thing every day, but hey, we're all good Mom's and our husbands know we can multi-task ANYTHING! Right?
Now speaking of multi-tasking, Mutley, my Jack Russel, has found new ways to intertain me during our twice a day walk. Please don't let him find a ROCK! The new found rock must come home with us or he's not moving! How unfair is this. Now my neighbors really have a new-found opinion of the lady next door that can't afford a ball for her (crazy) dog! He has to play with rocks. Oh-Boy does he take this serious too! Today a neighbor was driving by at the right time to see Mutley struggling with this rock, in the middle of the road & refused to leave it. I, being a good Mommy, had to pick it up, smile like this is so much fun and take the damn rock home. I now have, of various sizes, a collection of rocks building in my yard.
I just think my next step as a professional woman would be to paint names on the damn rocks and call them Mutley's pet(rocks).
Tomorrow mornings coffee will start a new day of business and of course rock collecting, in the RAIN!

Diane