This issue is one that takes center-stage in our house every year, come sukkos. The men sleep in the sukkah, the women sleep in their warm and comfortable beds. Obviously, the men can't sleep on the floor, so they shlep mattresses into the sukkah.
Problems crop up over the weeklong storage of the aforementioned mattresses. Here's why:
Men logic - store them as close to the sukkah as possible, so the nightly shlepping is less. The dining room doesn't get used any way, so it seems like the best possible place.
Women logic - it's not fair to make the men shlep the mattresses back up the stairs, but the dining room is in the center of the house, and it's a little much to stuff it full of bedding.
And so, with two opposing philosophies, the arguments commence. The first morning of sukkah, we women wake up to find the dining room stuffed to the gills with mattresses, pillows, blankets, sheets and other random bits of sleeping supplies. We place our hands on our hips an tell them men that there will be no food served until the bedding is removed from the dining room.
Not to be defeated, the men take advantage of the loophole and plug up the living room instead. Finally, one peace-seeker shleps all the bedding into the study, or back hallway, muttering about the house taking on the appearance of a homeless shelter.
And, on that happy note, the meal begins. The men muttering about uptight females, the women muttering about slobs called men. For days we argue, untill sukkos is over. At that point, the mattresses are carried back to their respective places, and everyone forgets about the whole issue. Until sukkos comes again, and we start the fight from scratch.
Someone, please tell me we aren't the only ones who have this fight?
8 comments:
i fought that one out years ago. By now I just put my mattress in an unobtrusive place, which is also out of sight right away, therefore never having to worry about not being fed.
In R' A. Feldman's 'The River, The Kettle, and The Bird' he says that women are very concerned about the appearance of their home, even if it may not make sense in the eyes of a man. He should therefore be respectful and cognizant of the appearance for her sake
Our Sukkah is in the back of the house so there's not so much to shlep to the bedrooms. We do however insist they put them back and make their beds every day. No excuses.
OMG i didn't realize this happens in other peoples' houses also?! the "men" in my house don't have a problem leaving the mattresses and pillows and stuff in the sukkah all day, especially if they will take a nap in the afternoon. we, the "women", on the other hand, have a MAJOR problem with that!! so WE have to shlep everything back inside to a normal place. then the "men" come home from shul and wonder why we had to move all the stuff.... happens day after day, year after year... they just DONT get it!!! :-)
Heh, so true. Although as I speak, Mr. NMF's bed is in the livingroom- and I have no strength to protest.
So I see we're far from the only ones with this problem. Ah, what a relief.
I sleep in my own bed. 'Fraid of cats peeing on me while i sleep.
Sounds waaaaay too familiar! The same in our house...my mother always insisted that everything is shlepped back into the bedrooms before the meal is served...which is a bit easier because the bedrooms are on the same floor as the dining room and succah!
HTTA- Can you give some lessons to my father/brothers? They totally don't get it.
"you're being irrational" Uh huh. Sure.
Inspired- And make their beds? Man, your tough! I think my brothers would rather just starve. :-P
TB- Yes, isn't it reassuring? The bad news is your future husband is probably like that too...
NMF- Are your protests in vain?
Freeda- Misery loves company. ;-)
JDJ- Lol, my father once claimed to see a bear in the sukkah, but we say he just had too much to drink that night. ;-)
IAG- So they listen? Wow...
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