I have often found myself in a peculiar situation at work. I am single in a world where having a family seems to be the ultimate trump card. While I do not have a spouse waiting for me at home or children to tend to, it does not mean I am twiddling my thumbs. Yet, the assumption that I have all the free time in the world persists.
The discrimination I have encountered does not always come in overt forms, but it is there, lurking beneath the surface. While most of my work friends are adept and do justice to the duties assigned on paper, it is those unforeseen and often late-afternoon gigs which they unceremoniously pass on with a kind of collective apathy. Authorities too tend to believe that people who have a conjugal household deserve to be excused by default.
This is not to undermine the difficulties faced by working parents, especially those belonging to discriminated genders. I am well aware that balancing a career and family is no mean feat. My intention is to call out the casual assumptions made on my behalf regarding the “lethargic eternity” I have at my disposal. I have deduced that many believe that all I do after work is go home and stare at a wall for hours. Frankly, even if that is the case, it shouldn’t matter to anyone. How I spend my personal time is not for anyone to judge. My after-hour pursuits are what keep me sane and give me the mojo to turn up for work every day.
