Last night I came across a reporter, Emily Matchar, who has written a book about what she calls the new domesticity movement, Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity  (Pre-order here: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca – not affiliate links).  She has been writing about this movement which she calls the new domesticity.  In a nutshell, it’s the return of (mostly, but not all) women to domestic pursuits.  This may or may not be for money, although often it would seem in the media as though it is.

This would include women opening cupcakeries, selling on Etsy, mom/baby related creations, lifestyle blogging and a large variety of things that I cannot even begin to name.  I am one of these women.  I do work in a traditional workplace but I would give anything to leave it for good and spend my days gathering chicken eggs, preserving my garden’s bounty for selling and raising my own animals.  Let me tell you why.

As a 30-something unmarried woman, I have post-secondary education and I’ve been working in offices since high school (part-time, then full-time).  I had this impression that work meant financial freedom, a purpose and a chance to do something in the world.  Instead, the longer I am in a traditional job, the more disillusioned I have become.

Like most people, I have had my fair share of bad bosses and lousy workplaces and this likely has contributed to the disillusionment.  I’ve put in overtime, I’ve busted my hump to meet unrealistic deadlines, I’ve interrupted my vacation to stay on top of emails and work demands and I’ve woke up at 2am in a panic because I can’t remember if I sent off a report that was due.  And when all is said and done work has responded by limiting my training opportunities, freezing my wages and assigning me more work because someone quit and they aren’t replacing them.

The Appeal of Opting Out

Opting out of the traditional workforce appeals to my desire to control my own destiny.  I acknowledge that my earnings may be far lower than I earn now, but I would have control over my days and the effort I put in, in theory, I would reap the benefits of.  At work I can control things only so far and while I always have a choice, often my choices are do it or find another job.  When you are a business owner you may work much harder than in a tradition job but since it’s your business you are able exert more control and direction over it.

I am a ‘paper pusher’ in my traditional job.  But I push virtual paper.  I spend my entire day in front of the computer and I interact with people via email and phones.  The documents I print are printed to PDF, not paper.  Essentially I produce nothing tangible.  I’m not complaining about that.  I actually hate paper and offices with folders and files full of it drive me crazy.  But when I go home and whip up a batch of relish I have a tangible product of my efforts.  I have something I can hold in my hands and know that I’ve created.

I also can get a batch of relish together in just a few hours.  If anyone has spent much time in the corporate world you know that things do not go quickly.  Being able to go from bushels of vegetables and fruit to a jar of something yummy gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I can say not only that I did something, but I can do it in a single night.

At work it’s a never-ending cycle of emails and voicemails.  I often feel as though a job is never really done.  There are always loose strings, unanswered questions and each turn brings up a new set of What Ifs that need to be explored.  When you’re canning and all the relish or jam is in the jars, you’re done.  If one doesn’t seal, the solution is simple, you put it in the fridge and eat it first.  You get to start and finish the task and if something happens, like an unsealed jar, the answer is much easier to deal with.

Something that is perhaps more unique to me than others feeling like they want to opt out is that I really do come from a family that cans their own tomatoes, made their own freezer jam, pickled cucumbers and stocked a pantry with mason jars.  Not because Pinterest said it was cool but because those mason jars were used year after year to hold food that our family would eat.  My grandmothers canned because they had to, my Mom did it because the food tasted better and  I do it as a connection to my family, traditions and heritage.  I much prefer tomatoes out of my garden than the funny pink ones that resemble cardboard in flavour and texture.

All in all, working in more domestic or home-focused spheres holds the appeal of a calmer, gentler life that is less dominated by demands of a boss or company.  It would increase my connection to the production of the food I consume, the community I live in and put a greater distance between me and the rat race.

How Traditional Workplaces Could Keep Me

To keep me at work, not just physically, but mentally too, a workplace is going to have to do a lot to keep me and the rest of people who feel like I do, around.  Our desire to escape runs deep.

I want flexible hours.  Not just flexible around a core set of hours, but rather, I want to be able to work at 7am in my yoga pants at my kitchen table when my best ideas strike.  I want to be able to leave work at 3pm when I’ve had enough of my desk chair that is just not that comfortable.  Since I rarely produce anything physically tangible, there’s no reason a cell phone and a laptop couldn’t be arranged.  In fact, if my phone were a cell and my computer were a lap top, you’d actually have no idea where I was.  And for the record, most people don’t know where my desk actually is.

I want to be treated with respect and acknowledgment for the work I do.  Although something is my job, a ‘thank you’ would be wonderful now and then, especially when I meet a tight deadline or deal with a challenging situation.  No fanfare required, just ‘Hey, thanks so much for getting this done!”   I’d also like to work in a place where I’m not guilty until proven innocent.

I also want to be communicated with about my job and the things that affect it.  So often and in so many different organizations the number one thing wrong is the lack of communication.  I have had employees in other countries and locations tell me how my job is changing, long before my boss tells me.

I want to work for people and organizations that are open-minded and have a desire to move forward with the times rather than do things as they always have, simply because that’s the way it’s always been.  I’m not a fan of change for the sake of change, but there does become a point when the same old thing should be updated just to keep up with times.

Making My Soul Smile

If I could opt out of a traditional job today, I would do it in a heartbeat.  There is something earthy and grounding about the thought of chucking my well-paying, secure employment out the window and donning my Crocs and jeans every day and tromping out to the chicken coop.  I know My Guy has the same dream and if we can figure out how to really make it work, we would walk away from our traditional jobs.  Living may be sparse and I may not have the cash flow I once did but I feel like my soul would smile more.