I really am a suburban housewife

Yes, I am literate, articulate and occasionally fun. I read the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, lots of books and blogs on neuroscience and marketing and psychology, some science fiction, some Christian works, and poetry when I can make some space. I teach people at different stages in their lives to tell their own stories and to listen to other people's. I believe that work does not have to be different than play. I am a partner in a small company. And. . . I am still a suburban housewife.

Some of my friends tell me that they would never think of me that way. Some of them have seen my house, and know that it does not always look like a wife lives here. However, there does seem to be a bias against the intelligence, passion and playfulness of suburban housewives.

Unlike many of my friends, I have spent most of my life in the suburbs and know quite a few women who live their lives here. They are often quite amazing. Some of them have high energy levels, a commitment to community and lots of talent in various fields. Now that my kids are growing up, I miss the other soccer moms. While some of them acted a lot like - well, like suburban housewives - many of them acted like amazing women who took raising their kids seriously and tried, a little desperately at times, to carve out enough space for themselves to stay alive intellectually and emotionally while working 24/7 as moms.

Now I'm looking for new communities. One place I'm testing the waters is Squidoo. You can visit the lens I started today at http://www.squidoo.com/integratedthinking/.

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