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Apr. 12th, 2008 08:13 amI'm working on a story about piercing, so I spent yesterday talking to body piercers. I don't get creeped out very easily, but I learned about dermal bars, and all kinds of below the belt piercings, and things that can happen with piercings and actually ended up cringing quite a bit.
Then I went for a massage. When I arrived at the massage studio, my new masseuse was in her room, hanging out with her son. She apologized a million times, telling me that her babysitter's father had died, and that her son, who was eight, was going to sit in the waiting room for my 45 minute massage. I didn't think this was a big deal. I even thought about telling her that I could cancel, but then I realized that she would be losing money, and obviously wanted to keep my appointment.
Her son sat in the waiting room, and I could hear him chattering a bit. He did come and ask his mom a question once through the massage studio curtain, and she apologized again for that.
After the massage, I paid her, and she apologized again and again. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, but the whole thing really made me think about how weird North American culture is. If we were in a developing country, having a child at the workplace would be so much less of an issue. I remember going to lots of stores or restaurants or other places in my travels in Asia and seeing or interacting with the owners' children. I think we've really created a weird dynamic in Western culture, where children and family members are kept so separate from the rest of peoples' lives. And if you think about it, it creates all sorts of weird situations and problems; a need for extra childcare, children who don't know what their parents do, and children who don't know how to act around adults. My whole experience at the massage studio just really made me think about this separation, and how weird it really is.
Then I went for a massage. When I arrived at the massage studio, my new masseuse was in her room, hanging out with her son. She apologized a million times, telling me that her babysitter's father had died, and that her son, who was eight, was going to sit in the waiting room for my 45 minute massage. I didn't think this was a big deal. I even thought about telling her that I could cancel, but then I realized that she would be losing money, and obviously wanted to keep my appointment.
Her son sat in the waiting room, and I could hear him chattering a bit. He did come and ask his mom a question once through the massage studio curtain, and she apologized again for that.
After the massage, I paid her, and she apologized again and again. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, but the whole thing really made me think about how weird North American culture is. If we were in a developing country, having a child at the workplace would be so much less of an issue. I remember going to lots of stores or restaurants or other places in my travels in Asia and seeing or interacting with the owners' children. I think we've really created a weird dynamic in Western culture, where children and family members are kept so separate from the rest of peoples' lives. And if you think about it, it creates all sorts of weird situations and problems; a need for extra childcare, children who don't know what their parents do, and children who don't know how to act around adults. My whole experience at the massage studio just really made me think about this separation, and how weird it really is.
