a woman’s work

I get very irritated about all the different ‘international day of this’ and ‘world day for that’ events. Particularly when there seems to be so little consensus about the celebrations. (I’ve commented before on how the UK celebrate an entirely different World Book Day from the rest of the planet and I always miss it – though I do remember the one on April 23rd. )

Be that as it may, Google has reminded me that today is International Women’s Day, and I find from clicking their commemorative logo that it’s the 100th anniversary of the event and that women around the world will be standing on bridges to celebrate.

Although I probably have a dozen bridges within easy walking distance, many of which are pedestrian only and quite picturesque, I’m pretty sure there will be no women standing on any of them, and not simply because it’s a nasty grey day.

I seem to be the only woman in the village who has time to stand and stare, to count the fish and the wagtails, to watch the dippers pretending to be penguins and to notice how the shadows of the water boatmen dapple the water like the marks on a leopard skin.

I’ve seen snakes swimming, and eels, a cormorant, kingfishers and herons. But although the menfolk sit and watch the river, or lean on the parapet and chat, I can’t remember ever having seen a woman do so.

I can’t help but suspect that Spanish women are too busy in the house to have time for such nonsense. Which I suppose is what today is all about.