The responsibility that comes with cowboy boots

There is the fine Christmas custom of argument, of fighting. A nice, fairly traditional ritual.

Over the holidays a befriended couple of mine had some issues. Not in a horribly disastrous way – more kind of the annoying everyday fight.

This couple is quite modern and emancipated – both have decent jobs. She makes more money than he does. And he takes care of the cooking, the gardening and keeps the house in shape. Okay, she does most of the cleaning but that is mostly because she has quite a crush on her vacuum cleaner. No one is allowed to touch it. We have to bow down and hail the god of Dyson…

And here is the funny thing., a thing that really hit me hard and unprepared. Her silent reproach to him was that she is the top-earner in this relationship and is paying for everything (what, as a fact, is not true).

She accused him for example that his youtube consumption is the reason for the high electricity bill, omitting the fact that she is queen of ebay. Shit like that.

Okay, she makes more money. And – in the end – pays more. But here is the thing I don´t get.

Women want to be equally paid, want to be equal to their partners, don´t want to be just a housewife that puts a delicious dinner on the table. They wanted to dedicate their lifes to career the same way men did for centuries. They wanted to put the cowboy boots on and be in charge of things. No problem with that.

There are - still - many of my friends who make more money than their girls. And I never, never, never heard anyone complaining to his girlfriend: You earn less than I do. The worst accusation was: You spend too much on shoes (sadly that is true). Spending, not earning – there lies a difference in it.

As long as men have been the top-earners they always were funding their wifes and girlfriends. Without hesitation, without any second thoughts, always did. What´s mine is yours. Men always shared, because that is what families, what couples are about. That was the way of things and no man would dare to complain.

And now, as the women start making more money, this arrangement is suddenly out of the question?

Being top-earner in a relationship brings responsibility with it. Men always shared. But the women now turned their partners down and grew selfish. Maybe that is some marrying upwards thing, the casting couch´s new incarnation.

All I´m saying is: That is not a good basis for any relationship. Time to take over some responsibility for the one you love. Time to start sharing, bitches.