My Great Grandma Marie (Hawver) probably didn’t give much thought to women’s rights. In all honesty, it probably never even crossed her mind. Let’s face it, working alongside my Great Grandpa Roy on the farm, raising four children under the age of 10, and making home-made biscuits every night for dinner, didn’t leave a whole lot of time to consider whether or not she had the right to vote. Up each day at the crack of dawn, she headed to the milking parlor—not the beauty parlor. It’s difficult to imagine it now, but women like Great Grandma Marie really accepted their lot in life. There was no union on the farm, Rosie the riveter was just a twinkle in some (probably male) public relation firm’s eye, and the contraptions we now call panty hose had yet to be invented.
My Grandma Cora (Hall), on the other hand, was much more privy to the women’s suffrage movement. Born in the 1920’s, she lived through those especially trying times when women still fought long and hard for equality. Even so, Grandma didn’t exercise her right to vote. Instead, she exercised her right to stay home, smoke Salem Lights, and watch the “Edge of Night” each weekday afternoon. By the time Grandma was married to Grandpa Chuck, unions for women were available and many more women did make the choice to work in factories—especially since many of the men were “off to war.” Grandma Cora, much like her mother, chose to work on the family farm, raised five children, and made sure Grandpa had a never ending supply of homemade peanut brittle. I asked Grandma Cora once about equal rights for women and the like. Her reply was, “Hell, I don’t know, the only rights I knew about were the kind you did with pencils.”
My mother, Sandra (Hulse), was born in 1948. She lived through Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine, the bra burnings of the 60’s and 70’s, and was even possessed a driver’s license (I know because she showed it to me—she thought the photo they took at the DMV made her look like Fu Man Chu). As I had done with Grandma Cora, I once asked my mother how she felt about equal rights for women. Unlike Grandma Cora, though, Mom had strong views on the subject. She believed that women were equal. Equal as in it was O.K. to work outside the home, if her husband said it was alright. By the time my mother was of working age, however, women in the workforce were much more commonplace and “the pill” was actually a realistic option. Therefore, my mother raised six children and worked full-time outside the home.
I am 45 years old. I was born in 1965 and raised as a young adult in the 80’s. I shouted equality for women atop every career choice I ever made. I not only believed in equality for women, I lived equality for women. I went back to work when my daughter was five weeks old. I voted in every single election since I was 21 and can count the number of times I’ve worn panty hose on two hands. Dinner with the family usually consisted of take out, I earned more money than my husband, and until I was 35 years old, I didn’t wear a bra.
Times have changed. My daughter is now 24 years old. She has a two year-old son and works full-time for a union-paid job. She’d like more children, but finds it nearly impossible. She’d love to stay home with her son, but that too, seems like a far off dream. When I ask her what she thinks about equality for women, she simply sights and says, “Let me tell you what, Ma. It’s overrated.”
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Equal Rights
My Great Grandma Marie (Hawver) probably didn’t give much thought to women’s rights. In all honesty, it probably never even crossed her mind. Let’s face it, working alongside my Great Grandpa Roy on the farm, raising four children under the age of 10, and making home-made biscuits every night for dinner, didn’t leave a whole lot of time to consider whether or not she had the right to vote. Up each day at the crack of dawn, she headed to the milking parlor—not the beauty parlor. It’s difficult to imagine it now, but women like Great Grandma Marie really accepted their lot in life. There was no union on the farm, Rosie the riveter was just a twinkle in some (probably male) public relation firm’s eye, and the contraptions we now call panty hose had yet to be invented.
My Grandma Cora (Hall), on the other hand, was much more privy to the women’s suffrage movement. Born in the 1920’s, she lived through those especially trying times when women still fought long and hard for equality. Even so, Grandma didn’t exercise her right to vote. Instead, she exercised her right to stay home, smoke Salem Lights, and watch the “Edge of Night” each weekday afternoon. By the time Grandma was married to Grandpa Chuck, unions for women were available and many more women did make the choice to work in factories—especially since many of the men were “off to war.” Grandma Cora, much like her mother, chose to work on the family farm, raised five children, and made sure Grandpa had a never ending supply of homemade peanut brittle. I asked Grandma Cora once about equal rights for women and the like. Her reply was, “Hell, I don’t know, the only rights I knew about were the kind you did with pencils.”
My mother, Sandra (Hulse), was born in 1948. She lived through Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine, the bra burnings of the 60’s and 70’s, and was even possessed a driver’s license (I know because she showed it to me—she thought the photo they took at the DMV made her look like Fu Man Chu). As I had done with Grandma Cora, I once asked my mother how she felt about equal rights for women. Unlike Grandma Cora, though, Mom had strong views on the subject. She believed that women were equal. Equal as in it was O.K. to work outside the home, if her husband said it was alright. By the time my mother was of working age, however, women in the workforce were much more commonplace and “the pill” was actually a realistic option. Therefore, my mother raised six children and worked full-time outside the home.
I am 45 years old. I was born in 1965 and raised as a young adult in the 80’s. I shouted equality for women atop every career choice I ever made. I not only believed in equality for women, I lived equality for women. I went back to work when my daughter was five weeks old. I voted in every single election since I was 21 and can count the number of times I’ve worn panty hose on two hands. Dinner with the family usually consisted of take out, I earned more money than my husband, and until I was 35 years old, I didn’t wear a bra.
Times have changed. My daughter is now 24 years old. She has a two year-old son and works full-time for a union-paid job. She’d like more children, but finds it nearly impossible. She’d love to stay home with her son, but that too, seems like a far off dream. When I ask her what she thinks about equality for women, she simply sights and says, “Let me tell you what, Ma. It’s overrated.”
My Grandma Cora (Hall), on the other hand, was much more privy to the women’s suffrage movement. Born in the 1920’s, she lived through those especially trying times when women still fought long and hard for equality. Even so, Grandma didn’t exercise her right to vote. Instead, she exercised her right to stay home, smoke Salem Lights, and watch the “Edge of Night” each weekday afternoon. By the time Grandma was married to Grandpa Chuck, unions for women were available and many more women did make the choice to work in factories—especially since many of the men were “off to war.” Grandma Cora, much like her mother, chose to work on the family farm, raised five children, and made sure Grandpa had a never ending supply of homemade peanut brittle. I asked Grandma Cora once about equal rights for women and the like. Her reply was, “Hell, I don’t know, the only rights I knew about were the kind you did with pencils.”
My mother, Sandra (Hulse), was born in 1948. She lived through Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine, the bra burnings of the 60’s and 70’s, and was even possessed a driver’s license (I know because she showed it to me—she thought the photo they took at the DMV made her look like Fu Man Chu). As I had done with Grandma Cora, I once asked my mother how she felt about equal rights for women. Unlike Grandma Cora, though, Mom had strong views on the subject. She believed that women were equal. Equal as in it was O.K. to work outside the home, if her husband said it was alright. By the time my mother was of working age, however, women in the workforce were much more commonplace and “the pill” was actually a realistic option. Therefore, my mother raised six children and worked full-time outside the home.
I am 45 years old. I was born in 1965 and raised as a young adult in the 80’s. I shouted equality for women atop every career choice I ever made. I not only believed in equality for women, I lived equality for women. I went back to work when my daughter was five weeks old. I voted in every single election since I was 21 and can count the number of times I’ve worn panty hose on two hands. Dinner with the family usually consisted of take out, I earned more money than my husband, and until I was 35 years old, I didn’t wear a bra.
Times have changed. My daughter is now 24 years old. She has a two year-old son and works full-time for a union-paid job. She’d like more children, but finds it nearly impossible. She’d love to stay home with her son, but that too, seems like a far off dream. When I ask her what she thinks about equality for women, she simply sights and says, “Let me tell you what, Ma. It’s overrated.”
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