Men mostly: What are you making your companion for dinner tonight?

[1-Old-Man]

What about those dishes too? Hell, its only one day a week. You can do it. Sometimes you'll be surprised how much it is appreciated and even if its not, what the hell? And if its already too late for tonight just think of that as giving you the chance to get to the store for tomorrow and get everything you need to really do it right.

A couple of years after we got married my wife's 'folks' visited us. These were her Aunt and Uncle who raised her and her three siblings after the untimely death of both of the young children's parents; they were known as "Mom" and "Boone". Mom called Boone Charles, she was the only one to do so. He called her Retha and even from our first meeting I did too. This one visit they made to us was quite something. They lived about 50 miles away and to the best of my knowledge they never had or ever again did visit any of the other children.

I had begun making dinner before they arrived and was busy at it when they came in. My wife greeted them and as they got settled in Retha gravitated to the kitchen. When she saw me at the stove she dam near fainted. For a man to cook dinner was unheard of in her universe. This was like seeing a space ship land.

That was a half a century ago. This is today. Come on, get with it.


- - - - - -
This message was prepared both as a public service (promoting harmony) and as a writing exercise, it was not meant to be sexist and I hope it is not taken that way.

[marzipanni]

1. I hope someone takes your advice tomorrow!

It arrived a bit late for today, 5:00 pm PDT. Tomorrow, you'll have time to hit the market, fellas! If you can think of a food you'd like to try making, look up a recipe online!

My husband's parents rented a house on Lake Tahoe for a week in the mid '80s, and invited their three grown kids, one grandchild, one grandma, a DIL, a SIL, and me, a girlfriend at the time. The Mom is a mathematician and doled out the dinner-making duties by figuring out that half of us have birthdays on odd numbered days, half on even numbered. These two groups would alternate evenings preparing dinner for ten.
I complained "OH, No! My group consists of an eight-year-old girl, 93 year-old-grandma, three men, and me!" All three other women, the three best cooks, were in the other group, with my future husband. His mom chuckled and said to me in a low voice, "Just get the men to barbecue!" And it worked out fine, partly because I made spaghetti one night, and they did a lot o' grillin'!

[nolabear]

2. Heck, I remember when Mr. Bear and I first visited my folks

he got up to get a glass of tea and I said "Would you mind getting me one too?" The room fell still, and everyone looked at my father. My stepmother said "SEE?" I had forgotten what living with him was like.

We just share it. Whoever has a good idea or wants to, provides.

[Xyzse]

3. I'm single... But I do cook.

Oddly enough, I know more women that can't cook that those that can. Particularly last decade.

Thing is, my mother doesn't know how to cook. It was my father who cooked the meals, and made us learn how to. By the time we were over 10, we were the ones preparing the meals.