Women Then and Now

What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you make a conscious decision, work for and eventually achieve that goal? If you, like me are a woman born in the first quarter of the 20th century, I'd wager your answer would be a resounding, "Heck, No!"

The occupations open and acceptable to young women of my class and generation were service-oriented and circumscribed: one could be a teacher (probably not an administrator), a nurse (seldom a doctor), a secretary (hardly ever an executive) or a beautician who most likely didn't own a business any bigger than a shop in the back of her home.

As a Depression-era young woman I had no greater dream than escaping my parents' home---by whatever means. I didn't see myself or my future in terms of personal success and fulfillment. I only hoped to live a bit better than I had when I was growing up. I was never forward-thinking in terms of my own development. I just wanted to survive.

Despite being significantly overweight and under-educated I married thanks to propinquity and circumstance. During that marriage and due to necessity, I went to work in a menial position for a major corporation. After the war, political and social developments allowed me to rise to a point in my career I'd never imagined. But I worked very hard---my family depended on me. I retired successful and respected. However, to this day it's actually, still in my mind at least, all about surviving.

Flash forward to 2008. My granddaughter Sarah has just returned from a medical mission to the Philippines. She assisted in and performed over 600 surgical procedures in 12 very long days. She went on this mission in addition to working full-time at the Manhattan Hospital for Special Surgery AND attending school full time.

Sarah is 27 years old and has traveled throughout the world---at her own expense. She currently lives a few blocks from Central Park in NYC and has a well-educated and successful "significant other"---but feels no pressure to make it permanent as she says she isn't sure what she wants to do next.

Oh, what a difference! Sarah works just as hard (or even harder) than I did at her age, but she isn't doing it to simply to survive. She's trying to make a difference in the world---because believes she can. She isn't worried about where her next meal is coming from or whether she should marry to ensure her future. She's secure. Her parents and I will take care of any dire emergency. Sarah doesn't need to hook up with a partner she doesn't feel completely committed to. She can devote herself to trying to make the world a better place and herself a better person.

Lucky her. I so very much want to believe I would have done the same...but at least I can help her make these good things happen now...and believe I've done the very best I could with what I've been given.