At least, this is what I tried to convey to Dr. Oz in a most ineloquent series of tweets that he probably didn't even read. But I think it bears repeating here.
On his TV show ~ you know, the one where we're all gonna die from some bacterium, spider, snake, mold, bee, food poisoning... even before our obesity/hypertension/diabetes gets us, he told a mom that she was making excuses because she didn't exercise enough. Heh. Dr. Twit.
OK, to give the guy a break, it wasn't his assertion at first. The poor mom appeared on this episode with her skinny, unmarried, childless sister. Skinny sister said fat sister ~ the mom ~ was making excuses for not going for long walks. Skinny sister said, "I have a busy lifestyle too." Right. I wonder how somebody with so little grasp on reality keeps so busy. No, it's ok, I really don't want to know.
Clearly no one has ever pointed out to Ms. Busy Lifestyle that she also has options that Mom doesn't have. If she decides to put off doing the dishes to go for that walk, who's to say she oughtn't? I mean, that glass, plate and fork could sit in the sink for days, right? Ooo.. ok, two plates, and a knife too. Mom doesn't have that option. Her sink is full of dishes, especially glasses, because every time a member of her family hydrates, they take a fresh glass out of the cupboard. Then there's the mess on the counter, including the ketchup and mayo sitting out, because while the family knows where to find the condiments for that little snack, they can't remember where they go when it comes to putting them away. Mom ~ the house elf ~ she'll do it. And Mom doesn't just have a soiled sweater and a couple panties to launder, there's four loads of laundry piled up there. Even if she figures she'll just do one load and go for that healthy walk, there she goes sticking her hand into Jr.'s jacket pocket to make sure there's no tissue in there before putting it in the washer ~ only to discover a pocket fulla now-dead worms. Great. Jr. has discovered worms in the back yard. I know... eeewww. Just so.
Moms get these surprises all the time. And they have to be dealt with RIGHT NOW. Plan our days??? Yer kiddin', right? Oh, I make a list every evening for the next day. It's not so much a list of things that have to be done, as sort of a "wish list." They're the things I really should get done, but I know full well the day will come with untidy surprises, pulling me away from any actual PLANS I may have had. Wanna make God laugh? Make plans. Yep.
On top of the usual chores a mom has to perform, there's the four messy surprises, three different meals for the fam, two doggy doos, and a partridge in a pear tree. Sure, I'll make time for that healthy walk, right after I have high tea with the Queen. We'll take a little jaunt out to the paddock to see all the royal ponies, say what? Oh yes, we'll bring the Corgis along to give them some exercise too.
Figure it out, Ms. Busy Lifestyle and Dr. Mehmet Oz, if Moms had time to look after themselves the way they should ~ the way they'd no doubt like to ~ there wouldn't be so many fat, tired, exasperated Moms out there trying to figure out how to stick around for Jr.'s graduation and Princess's career, in the face of being slowly done in by not-so-benign neglect. Here's an idea: instead of telling mom she's making excuses and adding to her burdens, why not help her devise a plan where she can find some time for herself? Convince the family to help out by putting the damned ketchup away, using a glass twice (despite the deadly threat of some bacteria), putting the wildlife into a jar to study, instead of into our pockets, putting their laundry in the laundry bin, etc. Heh. "I have a busy lifestyle too." Yeah, right. And I have flowers growing out my....
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