AND
I want to thank Linda G. Hill for her inspiration! Today’s prompt is Eco.
The prompt sent me to the internet. I found
Ecofeminism
The definition goes on and on. Check it out here. As I studied that I realized that I was upset. Why, if we want people to embrace feminism do make everything so hard to read for the normal person? I remember when I first started reading about feminism I could find nothing simple to read or understand. Sure I understand the word, but if you want ALL humans to get it and the average person has a reading level of 7th or 8th grade, why make your assertions college level. Good, you made it to college but we need to boil it down so that a person who is reading casually might not have to look up every other word to make sure they know what is being said.
I think it was Feminine Mystique that I tried to read when I was pre-marriage, pre-kids that wore me out. I came from a traditional family so all I could see what how snooty these women were and the only way that information would get to the common person it needed to be watered down.
Look. Here’s what I know now. As a stay-at-home mom, I thought I was saving money on a lot of levels. I figured that I birthed them I ought to care for them. And child-care was/is more expensive than any job could pay me. So I followed my heart. Now at retirement, I make less than half the SSI than my ex-husband. How was/is that fair? If you are a stay-at-home mom right now make sure you stuff away money for your retirement. Have your own bank account. Don’t touch the money even if you have a family emergency.
Honestly, I don’t know how I would have done any differently in my life. I love my children and loved raising them to be super adults. And what should I have done when I became a single mom, let my kids starve? Don’t take them to the doctors? Don’t make sure they have a roof over their heads? I didn’t drain the system. But the system drained me! Take that EcoFeminism!
Darswords 
I wouldn’t have done it differently either, and while people my age are deeply invested in their jobs, I’m just now rejoining the workforce I left 20 years ago. I’m not saying I haven’t worked, or earned money, but not the kind that fills the SS — and will it even still be there? Thank you, IRA. Maybe I’ll work til I’m 80! 😀
I know. I wasn’t in the workforce for about 15(?) and I am not sorry in my soul. It’s just when I was forced to go on disability I was also forced to see how mothers who raise children are not valued. Women who chose or have to work and put their children in daycare, aren’t valued. Women who chose not to have children are not valued. There are no good choices except go with our hearts and do what we can. But I hope future generations can find an answer to this. Men don’t have to do through this. Well, they didn’t in my day. I like seeing more and more men taking on half the responsibilities or even the whole of care taking. My younger cousins are all saying they have to work til they’re 80. But what if you can’t work? What if you’ve put in the money all your working life but the parts that aren’t commercial work don’t count. I’m just throwing out the warning to my younger seesters.
Hear, hear! I remember my mom (who is very feminist in her ideology) feeling frustrated because she was derided for choosing to be a stay-at-home mother, because it was the sensible choice in her situation at the time (the late 60s with a child and a husband not much more mature than she was). But the thing is… choice. She CHOSE. Just as those other women chose their careers, she chose her family a different way.
Well, basically, I’m just happy to see you aren’t letting a definition rule your life anymore than my mom let it rule hers or I am letting it rule mine. Hopefully you found joy in these years of life, because… in the end, that matters the most.
It isn’t a happy or unhappy right now. I was happy being with my wonderful kids. It is how little there is to live on when life actually becomes more expensive and you have less physical resources to call upon to bring in enough to cover the things you need for survival. Something you thought would be there. So again my warning, until this system is fixed. Save against the future wolf.
Taken to heart!
I’m glad! 🙂