the liberated Women of the 1960's

I have become very concerned with the great women that I have known and loved through out the years.  many of us lived out the women's liberation movement. It is all fine and dandy that women can hold down jobs once reserved as a men's only club.  The down  side of the whole scenario is that now women are trapped.

I realize that now it is not so much as a choice as it is a necessity for mothers to work.  The catch is that when they do work the expense of day care for their children is almost as much a month as rent or a house payment.  We have gotten so dependent on quick foods, fast foods, ready made frozen, or packaged foods, that we have almost forgotten how to make things from scratch.

I worry about the American family.  Sitting around the dinner table was where we were able to talk about the things that happened during our day.  If there was a problem at school or a bully, parents found out at the table.  I found that sometimes I had to get a child on a one to one basis, in order to solve a problem.  But in the family group gathered together that was where you discovered any problems.

 Now that we are the liberated women.  We can do just about anything a man can do.  We hold jobs that give us great power.  We stand on our own two feet.  Some how with all this ability, there are still some of us who have fallen into the trap that caught the valiant women of the past.

I still know of women who are still fighting for their rights.  Women who have raised their children, taken care of family members and are now living on the edge, nearly toppling over into the depths of poverty.  Most came from families that were fairly well off.  Some from very rich families at one point, but due to the fickle winds of fate they too are teetering on the edge.  How can this be?

We knew our rights.  We did not have to stay in a marriage if it was not comfortable.  We stood up for what we knew was right, defended our children, left abusive marriages, or marriages where our moral standards were not met.  A few were caught in a marriage where they were deserted by their husbands for another woman or even more painful for a man. 

Now that my generation is in our sixties some of us have fallen into poverty.  Several of my friends are working as long as they can in order to be able to live comfortably.  One divorced mother of three, attained her much sort after goal of obtaining her Doctor's Degree at a late age was not able to find long term employment, worries about her next job and faces education bills probably for life.  Another friend, a divorced mother, has worked for 30 years for a charity which is on the edge of folding.  There is no retirement fund.  Another friend thought she could rely on the family trust.  Unfortunately by the time she received the trust money there was not enough left to carry through a year. She also spent her life caring for family, having never worked for wages.  No one thought to pay Social Security on the time she gave to her family.  The worse part is that she was married but a few weeks shy of the ten years required to draw on her husbands Social Security, this was before the ten year requirement.  She has no money, no social security, no medicare.  We believe in being strong southern women, holding our heads high, and walking proud.  A lot of this was not our fault.  Where did we go so wrong. Too busy just living life to make long term plans.  Too head strong?  We can think quick on our feet. Now is the time to do so. I send my love to all the women of the 1960's, be brave never loose hope.  Love has got to be what it is all about. 

Pardon me for getting somewhat morose.  Some of these stories are so sad.  I want to try to find a plan. The ones that have married and stayed married are doing well.