Mar 13 2011
THOSE BRAVE WOMEN OF YORE
Greetings Cool People:
This week I’m going to say a few words about those brave women of yore.
My grandmother used to tell me that life was a lot simpler in her day and in days of yore.
“How so?” I would challenge her.
“Molly, women didn’t have the worries of the world on their shoulders. They didn’t have to work. They led a simpler and more refined life that centered around raising their children and enjoying all that went with being a lady.”
“But Grams, isn’t maintaining a house and taking care of kids a whole lot of work? What’s ladylike about cleaning? And what if a woman wanted to have a job?”
That was usually about where the conversation would end. My grandmother and I loved one another and agreed we were from entirely different planets. The irony of this was that my grandmother used to have this old advertisement proudly hanging in her kitchen.
I ask you: Does this woman look happy? Do you see any joy radiating from her face? Does she represent the epitome of “a lady” to you? Could life get any more fun than standing by a wash basin with what appears to be a giant toilet plunger smushing the clothes? This poor woman looks positively catatonic. And she probably has a girdle squeezing her guts in.
And what is the name of this delightful contraption she is working? Why, it’s “The Little Joker.” It calls for “Mothers, Wives, and Daughters” to “take courage.” It was designed by MEN for “frail women” to use, thereby helping them to avoid “weary aching limbs, sickness, suffering, and death caused by over-work, exposure and colds.” Holy misogynist, Batman! If washing clothing did all that for women, why in the world didn’t the men lend a helping hand?
Really it’s tough enough being a woman of this generation.
This might be the perfect place to mention my theory about why men get down on one knee to propose. Mind you, this is only my opinion, but I believe that men began doing THIS:
Because it symbolically represented that their wives-to-be would spend the rest of their lives doing this:
Love you, guys! Just having fun.
Yours in pickiness,
Molly
Excellent, Molly! Love the art. Please post more of it as you find it. And you are right; each generation of women has its own struggles with which to contend. It’s striking how the washing machine was such a revolutionary/earth shattering appliance all those years ago, yet now we would look at any home that was without one as being “3rd world.” However, so many other similar problems have cut across the generations of women, namely equal pay for equal work. (74 cents for $1, anyone?)
Keep up the great posts, Molly dear. Can’t wait to see next week’s installment!
Thanks, Leigh Ann. I will be posting more about these brave women. They worked harder than any of us can imagine. I can’t get through the day without caffeinating myself and rocking out on my iPod to stay awake.
I lived most of my life in awe of my grandmother, a woman born in 1924 who moved from Iowa to Oregon to marry a man she barely knew, raised three kids (one of whom was born when the other two were in high school), and got up every morning at 4:00 a.m. until shortly before her death because she had cows to milk and feed. This is a woman who received a battery-operated chainsaw for her 80th birthday. And yet… Her house was always clean, and she could go from barn to church in about 30 minutes, complete with hat and lipstick.
I tell you, I can’t hold a candle to that woman. The women of yesteryear were hearty stock, and they paved the way for the rest of us. I stand amazed.
Great post. 🙂
Amy
Wow, Amy! Your grandmother sounds amazing. I love that she got a battery-operated chainsaw for her 80th birthday. OMG! Who gets one of those for any birthday, much less their 80th! I can see how proud you are to be her granddaughter. Thanks for sharing your wonderful story. (And if anyone is thinking of getting me a chainsaw, even an electric one, you so need to think again!)
Sometimes I wish life was simpler.
Woman have come a very long way since then. All woman should be proud of themselves for achieving what they are achieving.
With technology saving us time an effort – we seem to be able to cram in an extraordinary amount of activity these days, probably too much.
Thanks Molly 🙂
Oh, Lisa, you are so right, girlfriend. Cramming too much activity into small blocks of time is a way of life — and it shows no signs of letting up. Women are amazing multi-taskers!
“Holy misogynist Batman” hahaha, I love that Molly! Hope you don’t mind, I’m going to steal this from you…
This reminds me of one of the essays I wrote for my business school entrance exam with our friend, Lisette, on how it is STILL very misogynistic, male dominated in the business world in China. Slowly but surely, let’s get a women president on board! OoOoOo
Oh, Janet, take my words and go to town with them, girlfriend!
If there was ever a woman bound to be a CEO, it sounds like you’ve got all the right stuff. Just keep struttin’ it! Onward and upward!
Molly,
I want to commend you on being a firm believer in a woman’s modern world. I have lived both sides, working class, single woman, and now homemaker. I would say both are tough jobs. I commend all the women from previous generations who didn’t have the luxury of modern appliances, and raised twenty children, and a barn full of animals. And I would also like to commend all the women who work their butts off every day, making a career for themselves, and providing for themselves, showing that times have changed. You don’t necessarily need a man to live.
Thanks Molly! You Rock!
Thanks for the kudos, g/f. Women throughout time have lived very different lives, but there are so many extraordinary stories despite difference. I’m sure the brave women of yore had their picky ways, too. Hmmm. I’d sure like to know more about that.
A very creative, and thought-provoking post, Molly. I believe that the weight of responsibilities on a woman’s shoulders today vs. yester-year is relative to the time in which each respective individual lived/lives. In my mind, they are equivalent, but for completely different reasons.
In the old days, a woman’s time was consumed more by physical responsibilities…chores that were necessary for simple survival. Modern comforts and niceties were yet to be developed. It was a hard-knock life.
In present times, women still carry a vast burden. Chores have been made less daunting by machines, but the burden still remains. Time, in today’s world, is devoured much like storage space in the modern home…the more you have, the more you will fill it to over-capacity. Taking the kids to their respective commitments such as soccer practice and dance recitals, supporting troubled friends in need, steering the men in their lives to act like men—these are all responsibilities that contribute to the massive time-suckage the modern woman faces.
I say BRAVO ladies…I see you and your efforts. You are appreciated by this guy for all you have on your plate, all the while juggling the screaming chain-saws you keep in the air, with grace and style. Declare yourselves a mini-holiday some afternoon in the near future…say no to the world, draw a sudsy bath, light a candle, pour a glass of wine, and take a well-earned breather with a good book. You deserve it.
Hey Al,
What a beautifully written comment! As as woman, and a picky one at that, I really love your genuine respect for women throughout the ages. Thanks so much for stopping by! Love seeing you.