7. The over-organising
by Emily Hourican
A manifestation of the inner drive for self-improvement. Not all of us are guilty of it, but for some women – especially those educated in snooty same-sex boarding schools – the ability to manage, organise and arrange is highly prized... and just as highly irritating. Not for her a life spent smelling the roses; not while there are boxes to be ticked off to-do lists and domestic crises to be impeccably handled. She keeps colour-coded files noting what she served at every dinner party since the late-1980s. Born to be mother-of-the-bride, her most meaningful relationship is with her florist, or possibly her deep freeze. Naturally, society values her contribution far more than that of scatty poets and intellectuals – “Isn’t so-and-so marvellous?” is often said of the most frightful women, just because they are capable of putting on a garden party for 300 guests where nothing goes wrong and even the rain doesn’t dare get out of line. Still, it’s unfair to be too down on her, because she is extremely impressive and a boon to her proud husband. It’s just that the stakes seem so small. And what about her soul?
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