For the good of the nation

To babyboomers

Before I was a mom

My friend R from Milwaukee wrote...My mom was my best friend and is always on my mind, especially on Mother's Day. The one memory that stays with me vividly is that she was always there everyday, waiting for us to get home from school. On the rare day that I got home to find her gone, I can remember sitting in the window of our living room watching for her to come around the corner. She did not drive, so she would walk "downtown" to shop. I can still see her walking back home to us.

Clara - Mine too - How fortunate we were to have those nuturing memories. Not as easy for young mums to achieve that today, much as they would like to.
And of course at that time, women's identity was centred on family responsibilities; marriage and motherhood were advocated as being women's main career path - to look after men, populate the country and be optimistic in the face of misery, when men were the courageous soldiers and women were self sacrificing supporters - for the good of the nation. From the 'Australian Women's Weekly' - 1940s fiction and the construction of the female identity.

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Babyboomer Return to the late 50's suburbs

19

Dear Babyboomers


 Today I returned to old territory.


 G had cleverly discovered the venue in the paper  - an Italian day in the Western Suburbs.  When I was there it was early days for multiculturalism - but now the area is revered for it's Italian influence.   

I was very excited to go back where I had been so many times in my dreams - back to the shop where I lost my mother.  Not actually lost her, just that she was so absorbed in 'the shop' that it seemed to come first and our needs next in line.

And yet I am left with guilt when I recall those times - as she had so little time to herself.  Could/should I have done more to help?  I did actually take over the behind the scenes domestic stuff so that I didn't have to do the shop stuff.  Dad and I did the cooking and cleaning - while Mum seemed to feel she had to cater for the world out there.  But what about us?


Was this the beginning of Women's Liberation?  If so, it sucks from a kid's perspective.  I liked it much better when my mum was around for me.  In the interim, the area changed from boring Aussie to New Australians (???????), viewed with suspicion etc and now accepted for it's Europeon influence - mainly Italian.

We ended the day with a lovely meal at the Italian Forum in a nearby suburb.
Selfishly Clara




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