Submission and Slavery: The Truly Rich Lady on Gender Roles and Religious Posts in 2017

There is a reason why, in the genteel circles of the Truly Rich Lady, certain topics, such as politics, medical conditions, and religion, are seldom discussed. They make people squirm.

That last one, talk of gods and sinning and divine rules, can be the most uncomfortable of all. Don't get me wrong. I, C.C. Coo, walk in the light of the higher belief of my choosing, but I do it quietly. It's just that when spiritual beliefs are laid out on the table, it can go only two ways: You agree perfectly or disagree violently.

So guess what happens when Famous Mom shares a social media post about personal beliefs that are anchored on the Bible (there is a verse) and supported by an illustration (there are umbrellas)? 

My friends alerted me about the post and updated me on all the hullaballoo in the presentation of roles in their household. Tell me: Should the man be the undisputed head of the family and the wife a supporting player under his purview? Should a wife cede control to her husband? Are slaves a thing now? And are umbrellas an effective meme?

Let's Talk About Submission

The flash point is in the implication that men are above women when clearly, at this present moment, women can be on top. Or left of center, or north by northwest, or slightly to the side, or a few inches down. The modern world has broken the old family structure where men are the protectors and providers and women are nurturers and cooks and laundresses and cleaning ladies and so on.

Fortune reports that 2017 sees a 50 percent increase in the number of women CEOs on its Fortune 500 list. Just last week, my Hello Friend (as in we always and only say “Hello” to each other while waiting for our drivers to pick us up at the gym) has been elected the president of our village association, defeating a know-it-all lawyer and a businessman with beady eyes, both men who I feel she will not be submitting to in the future.

Anyway, there are many configurations of families now that are more modern and less rigid as the setup mentioned in the post. Women can be the breadwinner. Men can be housebands. They can share responsibility, including chores, equally.

Personally, my strong-willed self does not like to submit to anyone—except, of course, to my higher belief and that thing called love. I once, in a moment of frustration, declared to an old boyfriend with a penchant for Greek cuisine that I was tired of always letting him choose where we eat, and he replied, “OK, don’t.” And yes, why did I endure the oppression of eating moussaka and marinated octopus all that time? I can also take the lead, make the hard decisions, and bring us to a place that serves only leaves (hold the flavor, please)!

Famous Mom, to her credit, recognizes that there are many ways a household can be run. And here is where she proves her genuine heart and social media savvy. With full patience, she explains that this setup, where the husband takes the lead, is what works for her family and that other arrangements, including single-parent households and reversed roles, are quite alright. 

For her, submission is about respecting her husband’s opinion (it still remains a worrisome word) and, in the end, they work together as a team to run the family.

Anyway, it is her life. People get so angry so easily nowadays. The thing with opinions is that they are just that. You can subscribe to them or go your own way.

Let's Talk About That Other Thing

There is mention of slaves in the verse on the social media post. I am guessing this is just an unfortunate case of old-timey semantics and not something that Famous Mom believes in.

Perhaps, the implication is that we should all work hard. And who does not love hard work? Certainly not the CEOs who rely on their slaves--I mean employees--to shift paper in order to make paper...for them. I don’t think Famous Mom sees this in the literal sense because, you know, slavery is not allowed by the law and she appears to be a level-headed woman.

One More Thing

Faith is a very personal matter, and it will always be difficult to speak about what you believe in, especially on a very public platform like social media.

This just shows that everyone has different values, everyone chooses to be accountable (or not accountable) to a higher belief through their actions, and every situation is different.

Just live and let live.