I read an article about a woman being a trad wife or really wishing she had been. She was trying to advance all the time, and eventually, the marriage died and the children grew up and lived elsewhere. (I think trying to advance was always something men did, but not necessarily, women. It's always a surprise ending when you realize you haven't really gone anywhere, and it's time to put your trophies on the shelf.)
But it got me to thinking about the 50's and 60's "illusions" we had, like the milkman would always come before your milk soured, (we didn't have to do that when we moved, as the dairy was right next store.) and marriage was a permanent state.
This was silly even then, as I remember a Christian Science lady living next door, fostering a half native American friend of mine. Her mom had gone through four husbands, who all died. Finally, she did, as she decided her faith would bring her out of illness, but of course, without medical intervention, it didn't. So, ALL the foster children came to the rescue of my friend.
There were a few divorcees. When another friend of mine and I asked a nurse aid at work, about marriage, she said she heard the married couple upstairs, and the wife yelling, "Get out! Out! Out!" (with some thrown objects). So, that was hardly secure.
I so miss large LP records and players and more people dressing nicely instead of wearing torn jeans.
But now that I'm learning how to be a domestic, it's a lot more complicated, like making sure you clip coupons online and claim your points; cleaning, because you notice it's there, etc. The role wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and on top of that, very few women played it, because a lot more worked than I realized.
There was one advantage. My mother calling workers in extra, often got the reply, "my husband won't let me". These days, a supervisor would say, "WHAT?!! Are you a child?"
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