Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site azure.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!teklds!azure!annab From: annab@azure.UUCP (A Beaver) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: women's place Message-ID: <134@azure.UUCP> Date: Sat, 2-Mar-85 20:25:31 EST Article-I.D.: azure.134 Posted: Sat Mar 2 20:25:31 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 5-Mar-85 02:19:46 EST Distribution: net Organization: The Den Lines: 47 >References: <617@wlcrjs.UUCP> > 2) If you can not have children than what good are you as > women? > > The thought here which bothers me is How many of us out there > in the world feel that our prime function in this world is to have babies. > Women will never be free of the fact that they carry the child inside them > but this is not, again to me, the main reason we exist nor should it be. > As a group in the working arena we must work very hard as individuals > to keep attitudes like this (which we probably grew up with) from > holding us back. > > jeanette l. zobjeck I agree. As a young girl, grade school, I remember how the attitudes of 'you're just going to grow up and have babies anyway, so why study? Your husband will support you and you should concentrate on learning to be a good housewife. Take home-ec.' I wanted to take shop. You know, that is a terrible thing to tell a girl. If she respects your attitudes, she might believe you. I did. Most folks are surprised when they find out that I have a 15 yr old daughter and a 14 yr old son (I'm 32). They are even more surprised if they find out that it was PLANNED that way. I was married for almost a year when I got pregnant. I figured that I could do a good job as a housewife and I might as well have my children while I was young. Then I would still be young enough to enjoy life when they grew up. As it turned out, my choice of a husband was not at all a good one. (I'm trying not to express what an *%&*;{# he turned out to be.) Let's just say that after 4 yrs we parted company. So, there I was at 19 with two small children and no skills to speak of. And he has never payed support. (I even took him to court several times.) (Thankfor an understanding set of parents) (If only they would have not promoted those very Ideas which Zubbie was talking about) The only insight I can give to my daughter at this point, is that it is probably MUCH easier to go to school and THEN get a full time job, instead of doing them at the same time as I have for the past 7 yrs. Anyway, now that I can no longer have children I don't feel any LESS of a woman. In fact, I think that life is great. "And what do you want to be when you grow up, little girl?" "I want to be an engineer. 'Toot... Toot..'"