Motherhood for Men
Imagine a world where the only way to keep the human species going was for every man to become a jet pilot.
Of course, this world doesn’t offer any real training for this essential, terrifying job. Since men have always been jet pilots, it’s assumed that they’re all born with the right stuff. No pay, no training, danger around every corner, it’s your only purpose in life. Man up and do your job!
You won’t have daily, step-by-step instruction from your father, your grandfather and every other man who managed to survive against all odds, but you can get by relying on a magical osmosis called ‘natural instincts’.
Best of all, the hardest part of the job comes at the beginning. On your first flight, when you’re exhausted from the hard work of building your plane, it inevitably careens out of control, tumbling, screaming and dumping cargo as you desperately scan the ocean below for a place to land. Yes, that aircraft carrier might look small from way up there in the sky, the controls are confusing, and you haven’t had sleep for days, but chin up buddy, you’ll figure it out.
Since every man is born into the job, and supposedly has the right stuff to do it, it’s not seen as anything special. Yes, it’s an around the clock job with overwhelming responsibility, but the basics haven’t changed for centuries.
In this world, women are unencumbered by the need to fly the family, and they have a wide variety of jobs. They built the civilization that keeps jet pilots safe. They’re the politicians, the chefs, the creative go-getters. They’re the real stars.
Men can’t expect women to take on their job — women weren’t born with the right stuff; they don’t have the instincts for it. They’ll help, but only if you tell them exactly what to do. Besides, they need to work to support the family.
In this world, no man wants to admit that they’re ‘only’ a jet pilot, so they try to have a career, to be ‘working’ jet pilots. Yes, it’s hard to take on more work when your unpaid job is 24/7, but man up, lean in, and you can have it all!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Jet Pilots out there!