http://www.x929.ca/shows/newsboy/?p=4382
I was then posed the question, Could the same be help true for GrandMa? And here's my response:
And when we think of the roles those women played there were few and far between. You were either a Wife/Mother/Homemaker (more on this in a moment) or a spinster nurse, teacher/librarian or a nun. To be a career woman meant you had to give up the role of wife/mother/homemaker.
Which, by the way, was the preferred role of every young girl. To become some dashing young gentleman's wife, get pregnant (several times), fulfill the role of Mother with it's endless list of chores and duties and run a well oiled home so that everything was perfect when her dearly beloved strolled through the door for dinner.
Isn't that how it has always been portrayed, at least from Hollywood's perspective? But I really wonder if there were many, if any, perfect American families out there, back in the day when Grandpa was cool.
Maybe in the pre-war era, not so much Grandma, maybe Great-Grandma. But during the era of the depression heading into WWII times were tough and many women ALSO had to take on the role of bread winner or at least contributor to the family purse. And with the move into WWII many women entered the work force of heavy industry building bombers, jeep, ships, tanks, munitions while their men went off to fight the war.
Barriers were brought down and women were almost seen as equals during those few years of world conflict; but most came back up when the boys came home. Some barriers were self induced as women gladly traded their welders goggles for baby bottles. But it gave these women a taste of what their real potential was. The Jeanie had been let out of the bottle and would never again be forced to remain hidden away.
Over time it was these same women, who knew what they were capable of, re-entered the workforce as their children grew older. More or less done with their traditional role of Mother and modern conveniences making the role of Homemaker easier these women were ready to go earn a little spending money. Cash for nights out or those special holidays or that cottage at the lake. Sadly, they were kept to minimal roles such as cashiers, waitresses, maids, maybe general office help. But they didn't care as it was just something to do, a little extra to have in the bank. It wasn't their livelihood, the Man was still the bread winner.
This same amazing woman who began her life wishing for nothing more than to be a Wife, a Mother and a Homemaker, had put those dreams on hold to help fight the war from the home front; was given the opportunity to experience something no other women before them had been given - Independence. Then willingly gave it up, or maybe just put it on the back burner for a while, until they could transform again into yet another role: Feminist Pioneers and Visionaries.
Paving the way for future women to have many choices available to them, and not to have to settle on a single role either. Was it the best move for society? That will be debated for years to come. But anyone you can call a Pioneer or a Visionary has got to be the coolest person I'll ever know. And she was....
