"You've come a long way, baby".....

As I begin to write this blog about feminism, some might find it ironic that I am up to my elbows in baking dessert for the Relief Society meeting tonight.

The other day I went on a field trip with Melissa to The Baltimore museum of industry. We saw many wonderful things and participated in terrific activities, but one activity I found interesting was the "Cannery"

The chidren were given identities of real people who worked in the Platt's Oyster Cannery well over a hundred years ago. The children were going to spend some time becoming their new identities in the Mock cannery.

Melissa was first assigned to be a 28 year old black women named Olivia. Olivia was an Oyster Shucker and spent sun up to sun down, six days a week, shucking oysters in the Oyster Cannery. Olivia was paid per pail of shucked oysters. Back then, the workers lived in company owned housing, and were paid with company tokens that could only be spent at the company store. So Melissa/Olivia worked shucking Oysters, at the end of the "day" Melissa/Olivia was paid for her work. Melissa/Olivia and the other workers(classmates) were excited to be paid, because the company store had some cool items that they wanted to purchase, including toys. After each student worked hard, and really understood what the life of their person was like, they were anxious to spend there earnings at the company store.

We escorted a group over to the store, where the store clerk collected a certain number of tokens for food, rent, and heat. Every worker/student found they had no money left for the toys. They asked how they could make more money, the tour guide explained that if you were not a white male, the only way to make more money would be to work harder, for most immigrants,women and african americans this meant eliminating your 15 minute lunch and just getting by on raw oysters throughout the day. For white males it meant learning to read and write, or trying to get into an apprenticeship. Life was incredibly difficult for minorities and women back then.

With the civil rights movement, and feminist movements, we have certainly come a long long way. I know the slogan I selected came from a Virginia Slims ad campaign in the 60's, but I believe it is the most well known slogan for the feminist movement, so I chose it. It also represents how a movement that was founded upon such great ideals, the idea of equal rights for women, can get so off track. The ad campaign consisted of women shunning their aprons for "freedom" from household obligation. Here we are, almost 4 decades later, in what I believe to be the most exciting time in history for women. No longer are we stuck to the lowest paid jobs, nor do we believe that being housewives is oppressive. Now, when one of our daughters says, "I want to be....", she can complete that sentence anyway she likes. She can be president, or she can be a housewife. The feminist movement has given our women, and therefore our families more oppurtunities than has ever been afforded before in history. I have many friends around me, some are doctors who quit to be housewives, some are housewives who decided to be teachers, the women's experience is now one of complete freedom, the freedom to choose whatever we want. Complete freedom to choose is wonderful, but also scary, because with complete freedom comes something bigger, complete responsibility for our choices. We are now completely independant and completely responsible for the choices we make.

My heart went out for Olivia,and women everywhere who lived in those difficult times. Olivia had no choice, she was a shucker all her life, until her grandchildren could help support her. How difficult that must have been for her, knowing her own capabilities, but being so limited. What it must have been like to work so hard, and not even have enough for shoes. I imagine she never took a vacation. I imagine that she relished the Sabbath, her only day to be completely free.

I know that politically I am a conservative,(will likely register independant soon!) but I definately concede that the United State's biggest asset is that we have two main political parties. Conservatives, who promote capitalism and allow it to flourish, and Liberals, who promote programs to help all in the pursuit of happiness. What a grand system we have and what a wonderful country we live in, and what an amazing time it is to be a woman!

Melissa/Olivia and "co-workers" in the company store, unhappily paying their last token for heat.

Melissa and her best buddy, Anabel, two wonderful girls and future wonderful women!