Anything Boys Can Do, Girls Can Do Better

Okay, I don’t really believe that, but I do think that, with the exception of having babies and peeing sentences in the snow, tasks can generally be interchanged between the genders. Tasks that require tremendouis physical strength may tend to be more successfully carried out by men, for example, but by and large both genders can pretty much tackle tasks equally.

I was thinking about this the other day, as we went to a “caprine industry event” and heard a goat farmer talking about marketing and his customers. He was saying that he had individuals that came and butchered on the farm, and he had learned a great deal about their cultures and practices. He spoke very highly of them, and remarked that his and his family’s lives had been enriched because of these interactions with those of other faiths and nationalities, and that he was proud to have furnished the goat that facilitated those interactions.

One thing that he mentioned, however, is that in some cases, the men will come to purchase and/or butcher the goat, but they refuse to transact business with his wife. He said that often they will not even speak to her on the phone—not even to confirm an arrival time, or ask for directions. The speaker noted that in their culture(s) they cannot transact business with a woman.

For me, this poses somewhat of a problem, since the goat operation is primarily mine. I have an amazing amount of support and help and contribution from B, but if you want to know how much we feed, or what we use to worm, or who was vaccinated with what when, you ask me. I am involved in the day-to-day operation, and B is part of the decision-making process and direction of the venture. So, when it comes to fixing a price based upon market value, plus what we have invested into the animal, you would need to ask me.

I have often reflected on how I was brought up. My dad is a truck driver, and when I was younger, my mom had to run the house when he was gone. She ran it when he was home, too! I have always had an example of an independent woman, so I am very independent myself. Not only that, but my father has reinforced htat in me. I used to struggle quite a lot in math (well, let’s be honest, I still do!), and my dad would work with me whenever he could to help me understand. They supported me when I went out for sports teams, and encouraged me to pursue my interests when I headed off to college. There was never an expectation (or lack thereof) because I was a woman.

In fact, the other day I had this very conversation with my dad:

Dad: Hey, did you and B ever get that lawnmower running?

Me: Yeah, but it’s hit or miss. It starts sometimes, but not others. I know you told B you thought it was the starter, but he hasn’t had a chance to take the engine apart to see. You know, it’s interesting, he dives right into a lot of DIY projects, many of which he hasn’t done before. But he’s told me that he just doesn’t feel comfortable with small engine repair. I think it will come with time—after all, you need to know that on a farm! But for now, he’s just not comfortable.

Dad: Why don’t YOU become the expert in small engine repair?

Well there ya go. Just do it myself, and why not??

So, to think that a potential customer would not feel comfortable doing business with me is just mind boggling! That they would eat the fruits of my labor, but could not hand the money over to me, or haggle with me over a price, is just a very unfamiliar and even unsettling concept.

Of course, I will be respectful of that, and B can transact business just as well as I can, but I have really spent a great deal of time mulling this over and trying to make sense of it in my head.