[speaker001:] Well I wondered if I was going to get to talk to a male or a female on this type [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] Have you been talking to males? Yeah, yeah, this is, this is probably more interesting if it had been a male and a female [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] I was afraid we might get into an argument.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] Well, uh, I guess uh, there have been certainly a lot of changes in the last couple of generations,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] for, uh, the roles of women and uh, I guess the most significant probably is that so many are working now,
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] And trying to juggle job and home and family and all sorts of other possibilities, you know, they may be going to school, or may have elderly parents, or you know all sorts of other things.
[speaker002:] Yeah, it, it seems too me like though that women's roles are changing faster than the men and therefore, the women are spreading themselves thinner,
[speaker001:] Oh, I think so.
[speaker002:] than before.
[speaker001:] Absolutely. I, I, I think it's extremely difficult to keep up with all that we have to these days.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Sometimes, I think I am going crazy trying to do it but,
[speaker002:] Do you work outside the home?
[speaker001:] Yes.
[speaker002:] Do you have children?
[speaker001:] Uh, yes. They are getting older now,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] so they are not quite as much of a responsibility but they are still there, you know,
[speaker002:] Oh sure.
[speaker001:] they still take time, and, and I, you know, I still provide most of the things that go on around the house.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] So, uh, yeah and for a while I was going to school too, and tha-, it was tough.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I uh, I think that while it's a good change for I think women to be able to fulfill their potential in whatever they feel, you know,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] their expertise may be.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh, I think sometimes other things suffer and tha-, I think it's hard to find a balance there.
[speaker001:] But in some ways I think we are expected to do it all. You're almost looked down upon if you don't try to do all of these things and
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] that's where the problem is really.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah, I have little children, four and one, and I decided that it was very important to me to stay home.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh, and when I, I, I happen to, you know be, I'm very active with, uh, people, other people with children my age and most of us do tend to stay home, but when I run into people that, you know, just have recently had babies or have very young children and are working full time, I, there's almost a, uh, friction between us.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh, not people that are, you know, necessarily good friends,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Even though that has happened too, uh, it's almost as though it puts you on different sides of a fence. You know w-, if you decide to go back to work then you feel like you are always having to defend yourself.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And if you don't then, sometimes you feel like you're looked down upon by people that go back to work and so you're just wasting your time,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] at home.
[speaker001:] Yeah, it's a tough one. I mean, I've done some of both.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] I, when my kids were real little, I was at home for a couple of different periods of time.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Oh, I think the longest was less than a year, but still at least I was able to, to spend, you know, those first months with them.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] But, uh, I mostly went back to work because I was tired of doing without things.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] You know, the money was the issue.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] But, uh, even now, I would, I would like to not have to work in some ways.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] It, it's kind of pull and tug,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] on the other hand, I can't imagine just being at home, uh, although I have a lot of interests and a lot of things I would like to pursue.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Uh, still, uh, there's, there's sort of a feeling of accomplishment with having, you know, a job and all that goes with that.
[speaker002:] No, that, that's definitely true. In fact, I, I work out of my home. Um, I'm an accountant,
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] and I do taxes and bookkeeping and I, uh, it was, it's a way for me to stay home.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And I mean, I still, unfortunately have to be very disciplined [LAUGHTER] in doing my work at five in the morning and ten o'clock at night,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] but, uh, but it, it's worked out for, for my family,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] to have my cake and eat it too, kind of thing.
[speaker001:] Yeah, that's a good deal. Where do you think this is going in the future, I mean, do you think things are going to change, or are we going to keep having to try to juggle all of this?
[speaker002:] Well, I, I hope that they will change uh, but, but I'm, I just, I know it's going to be a slow change. Uh, I, I feel as though a lot of people are going back to just having a one wage earner. I mean I'm just thinking of my circle of people that I know. I know quite a few people who have decided to not have both, both, both, uh, couples, you know, both, uh, of the parents work.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And yet, uh, I, I we-, I hope to see employer based, you know, helping out.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] You know, child, uh, care centers at the place of employment and, and things like that, that will help out. What do you think, do you think we are,
[speaker001:] I don't,
[speaker002:] setting a trend?
[speaker001:] yeah, I, well I see, I think some people wanting to stay home more and take care of the children.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Uh, and even those who may not do it seem to be spending more time with their kids and really trying harder at making all of the, the family things work.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] Uh, but I don't know if they're going to ever give up their careers, you know. It's sort of like they went to school and they worked so hard to get where they are, I don't know if they want to completely give that up.
[speaker002:] Right, it's a very personal thing.
[speaker001:] But, it would be nice if there could be an in-between, a middle ground somewhere.
[speaker002:] Yeah. I think it's hard though when you talk about, about families and, and raising children because ch-, I think children have a hard time understanding a middle ground. I think they, uh, they need security and yet they, I don't know, I, from speaking from my children, the-, they aren't real flexible [LAUGHTER] when it comes to things like that.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] They, uh, they want to know things are going to be a certain way.
[speaker001:] Well, yeah, I think they, they like a routine of sorts.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh, right. Well, we will see. I, I'm hoping to see more female leadership in our society.
[speaker001:] Well, yes, I, I like the fact that, you know, gradually you're beginning to see women in public office and executive positions, but it's still a long way from being what it ought to be.
[speaker002:] Oh, yes, the, the numbers are still very skewed to say the least.
[speaker001:] Yeah. Okay, well I enjoyed talking to you.
[speaker002:] Okay, you too Ellen.
[speaker001:] All right, good-bye.
[speaker002:] Bye-bye.