My father must have read this! We FIVE children were expected to be quiet when he returned home (easy to do since we were scared shitless of him), a martini was ready, and dinner always came off on time. My mother was well turned out when he got home, never complained (or so I thought - I learned after they were both gone that she threatened to leave him often), and that guy never lifted a finger to help her. Have I mentioned there were FIVE KIDS in this house? Make that six - he was the most difficult child of them all.
I think this list explains a lot!
Love your little additions.
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I was SO tempted to add additions about sex since the list didn't mention that! But I was afraid of already being close to offending people.
Wow so your mother was a darn good wife! Even though it sounds like she wasn't happy at all. I think alot of wives must have felt trapped and with few if any options. That is so interesting about your family structure, why were you scared of your father, was he mean to you kids?
He was a product of those times, born of two Greek immigrants in a small town in Appalachia. Just after WWII with tripe like this all over mainstream media, impossible expectations of everyone, man woman and child. He had a booming voice and was quick to anger, a powerful local leader, and a demanding father. Yeah, I tended toward invisibility if he was around.
I remember one argument of my parents' very clearly, when she wanted to go back to teaching once her youngest was 8 years old. He said "No wife of mine is going to get a job." She did it anyway. That may have been one of the times she threatened to vamoose.
Oh how interesting owasco..I would be so scarce if he was around too. Your mom went ahead and got the teaching job. I bet he was thankful, at least eventually, for the additional income. She was gutsy!