Standing in the Doorway

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am troubled by the position many conservatives take on Women Issues.  Several reasons exist for this besides being liberal in my thinking.  I'm have been looking for work for almost a year now and feeling invisible to those hiring.  It is hard to be 60 and not think my age has something to do with it.

The more pressing reason is that I feel as though I have been fighting for equality and autonomy my whole life. I remember standing in the doorway of my grandmother's kitchen watching her, my mother and my aunt prepare, serve and clean up the holiday meals while the men and boys sat watching television before and after the meal.  That doorway became sympolic as I grew.  Filling caught by the traditional roles of the women in my family and yet drawn to the activities and interests of the men.  I loved sports.  I loved mechanical things. I loved science and math.  The world of women seemed filled with more don'ts than the men's. 

So the people who attack a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body touch a sore spot that has existed for a very long time.  That little girl in the doorway watches.