Feminism?

This post is only about Betty Friedan excertp from The Feminine Mystique. I, like Cait found this piece to be incredibly sad. I could not imagine being in these women's' shoes. They went to amazing universities learned about history, economics, politics, government, literature and ended up spending the rest of their lives at home raising kids and taking care of the house. Of course these women were not satisfied!! When you've been exposed to knowledge and worldly things and then are only left to make choices about which type of brand of laundry detergent will really get those tough stains out, of course you are going to be bored and ask is this really it? I feel for these women and what is worst is that they were ashamed to even be admitting that they did have those feelings. That must have been terrible. I was also shocked to read that men took this issue so lightly and even proposed that women should not be admitted to four year universities so that they may not be burden with these feelings. I was disgusted to read that.

Again, like Cait, my mother has a career- actually more than one. She's the type of women who needs to be always doing something and is constantly pushing herself. I've always admired her for this reason. She is the opposite of these women. I had to ask myself what would my mother do if she lived then instead of now? The first thing that came to my mind actually scared me, and I think it was because I was also asking what would I do? Now there is nothing wrong with staying at home and raising a family but knowing thats all you were ever going to be able to do... to me is depressing because I have dreams just like these women did. After asking this question, I thought about my grandma. She is another strong women in my life who I've always looked up to. She's tough, doesn't put up with crap, yet is always friendly- to everyone and not in a phony way. I realized that my grandmother is the women in these excerpts, and then a memory came rushing to me. I went and saw Mona Lisa Smile with my grandmother and normally my grandma falls asleep at the theatre, but during this movie when I looked over at her she was crying, she grabbed my had and squeezed it tight, and then leaned over to me and whispered I'm so glad things are different. I am too.