The Myth of "Me Time"?

I was reading on a homeschool forum a discussion about an article from a magazine called The Old Schoolhouse called "The Me-Time Myth."

I don't get that magazine and haven't read the article, but I've always thought the concept of "Me Time" is interesting. I've heard at least one female speaker say that it was a selfish concept. Most people seem to think it's necessary. But how much? What is too much? At what point, if ever, does it become selfish? Is a weekend away from young children too much? How about a week? Is there something wrong with a woman who wants lots of Me Time?

I've never heard anyone else address this, but to me the whole fact that it's called "Me Time" is perhaps central to these types of questions.

I mean, think about it. If my husband wants to go in the basement and watch Star Trek, or go out with a guy friend, or even run an errand alone, he doesn't announce, "I need some Me Time! I haven't had enough Me Time lately! I deserve some Me Time!"

No. He just says, "I'm going to go watch Star Trek," or maybe, "Is it a problem if I go out with Mike tomorrow evening?"

I know, you could argue it's different for a man. But is it? He works at least 40 hours a week, sometimes much more than that, plus another few hours in transportation time. He sometimes picks up something at the store on the way home. So he could just as easily announce, when he gets home, that he's "ready for Me time now!" But not only does he never say that, but it would sound absurd if he did.

Anyway, I guess my point is that maybe it's better for we women to think more like men in that area. Maybe it would better for our own mind-set, and even for those around us, if we just said, "You know, I'd really like to go to the scrapbooking get-together this Saturday," and then made plans to have it happen, instead of demanding and whining about "Me Time" and how much we need or get, or should get.

Maybe it would be smarter to say, even just to ourselves, "I need to be alone and quiet for a little while" instead of saying, "I need some Me Time!"

I don't know. It seemed like an interesting thought to me.