There were a few articles that alluded to the role of men and women in marriage. One of the things mentioned was that men were supposed to lead (the relationship, the combined growth in Christ, amongst others), and women were to complement his leadership and help him lead effectively.
Feminism or discussion about 'equal roles' aside, I kind of agree with that. I don't view myself as traditional, nor have I been brought up in an environment where females were seen but not heard, and played largely supplementary roles. If anything, I was brought up to believe that I can do my job and succeed in life as well as any other man. We competed on equal grounds all through life, and now in my career, there are numerous examples of women doing as well as, and perhaps outshining, their male colleagues.
Perhaps it's the (still) firmly-rooted view among the older practitioners in my job that it's a man's world. Perhaps it's the not-so-secret knowledge that the male practitioners (which til recently, formed the majority in this industry) were viewed as more eligible and attractive compared to the few females who managed to climb their way to the top. It's the old generalization that male drs go for nurses. More so if you were a surgeon.
It suddenly struck me that the job of assisting a surgeon, drew a few parallels to the role a wife played to a husband (at least going by Boundless' advice).
In my years learning to assist, I was taught that my purpose was to help the surgeon perform his job better and more easily. My younger self in the dental office was excited and eager to work in this world where people used their hands to create wonderful things. I wanted to try my hands at it, and I was confident that I could do something good with my hands. But starting out as an assistant, it was drummed into me to anticipate the surgeon's next move, and to provide for them. Fast forward to today, and being able to experience both roles, I can see the importance of being a good assistant - anticipating and thinking always about how to make the surgeon's life easier, being responsive and attentive, and sensitive to body language. A poor assistant can frustrate, obscure and distract from the goal.
It then seems no surprise that surgeons would be attracted to those who provide for and help them most at work - things nurses are trained for. In contrast, trainees are primed and conditioned towards showing a I-can-do-it attitude - and guys probably don't feel that they have much of a role to play to a self-sufficient, overly confident lady. I guess they like to feel that they can provide for a lady, who shows some vulnerability and some form of receipt in her life. (This is the topic of another Boundless article which calls on women to learn to receive, that is, to play the role of thankful receiver of a guy's care, instead of having the mentality that they can give and give and do everything by themselves).
I may have underrepresented the nuances behind the Boundless articles, and of course the views on the people in my job are generalizations...but it's definitely interesting to realize.
