First Spouse

I think one of the most interesting jobs one could have would be First Lady.  (I guess it should be called First Spouse.)  I also believe it would be one of the most difficult jobs around.  That's if you want to call it a job.  I'm not sure if it is technically classified as such.  But there hasn't been a president of the United States since James Buchanan in the 1850s, so there has nearly always been someone who fills this role.  (He is likely the United States' only homosexual president as well.)  Overall, I think it must be one of strangest jobs there is.

There is, for one thing, no job description.  Everyone seems to have a little different idea of what exactly the role of the First Spouse should be.  And it is not just one thing you have to with.  People look at your dress, your demeanor, how involved you are with policy, and what you are involved with.  It is not just like people look at the job you're doing, they look at your entire life.

On top of all that, how hard would it be to be the wife or husband of the president?  They would have little free time to spend with you.  When they did have the time, they would probably be extremely tired or stressed.  Often you would be separated, sometimes on different continents. What if you disagree with your spouse's handling of a situation?  How do you go about telling them?  Or do you?  How do you act in public when dealing with that issue.  And what would 

it feel like if your spouse was the most powerful person in the world.  

This, of course, doesn't even mention kids.  How difficult would it be to raise kids in this environment?  Imagine your schedule.  Imagine the security.  How do you stay connected to them when you are so busy?  How do you manage to go to their school and events?  Imagine the press and all the people.  Think about how difficult it would be for you to help the kids with their fame and the attention.  Keep in mind this is going on with the whole country watching.

I think it would be especially hard if you were a male spouse.  The First Man.  First, let's be honest, it would be a little awkward having your wife be so much more famous and powerful. And you would get flack from both sides.  Men would likely make fun of you, while women would question your skills being a proper First Spouse because they would have the imagine of a First Lady in their mind.   I will be curious to see if Todd Palin ever writes a book about his experiences.

Despite all of these difficulties, I think I would still like to be in this position.  There would be so many interesting people to get to know and places to get to see.  So many unique experiences.  There is nothing else like it.  It is very intriguing to see how each person in the position handles it.