We Can Do It! Making It Up As We Go Along…

And breaking every jello mold

“Running the World While We’re Trying to Clean the Kitchen — Ever since the beginning, we’ve been redesigning women”…

Another song that speaks to me.

Part of the title, the sub tile and first line from the song Redesigning Women by The Highwomen. Texted to me by a friend who stated: “Why do you instantly come to mind?”

The picture above which hangs in my home, an original watercolor, painted by my amazingly gifted daughter, Brit. A millennial and one strong, independent career woman! She created my logo and banner! #love.

Her piece, reminiscent at least to me, of a modern day Rosie the Riveter…

This started me thinking about the journey women have been on through the years. I decided to spend a bit of time focusing on women the last 100 years…

…On this date 100 years ago, my gender didn’t even have the right to vote! We’ve been birthing men since the beginning of time but it wasn’t until August 26, 1920 that:

Three quarters of the state legislatures ratify the Nineteenth Amendment. American Women win full voting rights.

All these years later, in so many ways, we are still looked at as second class citizens or the weaker sex. It fascinates me given all the things women have done throughout history. I’m just focusing on a few things in the 20th Century.

Excepts taken from American Women and WWII, which states that: “Approximately 350,000 American women joined the military during World War II. They worked as nurses, drove trucks, repaired airplanes, and performed clerical work. Some were killed in combat or captured as prisoners of war.”

“Five million women entered the workforce between 1940–1945. The gap in the labor force created by departing soldiers meant opportunities for women”.

“The majority took over other factory or office jobs that had been held by men. Although women often earned more money than ever before, it was still far less than men received for doing the same jobs.”

Women also stepped into the game of baseball. Excerpts taken from League History:

“By the fall of 1942, many minor league teams disbanded due to the war. Young men, 18 years of age and over, were being drafted into the armed services. The All-American Girls Professional Ball League (AAGPBL) was formed in Chicago 1943 by businessmen and funded by Philip K Wrigley.”

“Salaries ranged from $45 to $85 a week plus. Femininity was a high priority. Wrigley contracted with Helena Rubenstein’s Beauty Salon to meet with the players at spring training.”

“After their daily practices, the women were required to attend Rubenstein’s evening charm school classes.The proper etiquette for every situation was taught, and every aspect of personal hygiene, mannerisms and dress code was presented to all the players.”

“The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League gave over 600 women athletes the opportunity to play professional baseball and to play it at a level never before attained.”

“The League operated from 1943 to 1954 and represents one of the most unique aspects of our nation’s baseball history.”

There are so many amazing women out there. I didn’t want to bring attention to just one, but the many women who have helped break the mold and make things easier for other generations to follow.

Women who we wouldn’t know by name, but we appreciate what they contributed to our society at the time when women were called to step into a “man’s world”.

I’m not a historian, I haven’t spent a vast amount of time researching this. Just sharing from my perspective taken over my lifetime.

I was raised in a family with a stay at home mom. I was surrounded by aunts and my grandmothers, all who worked at some point, but in my time were all homemakers. Things changed with the Baby Boom years.

I grew up in a time (late 60’s on…) with then current shows portraying women in roles of homemakers. Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, All in the Family, Happy Days just a few that come to mind. Mixed with returns I Love Lucy, The Donna Reed Show, Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best, The Dick Van Dyke show, The Honeymooners.

You get the point. Many shows portraying women working but within the home.

Some had magical powers like Samantha Stephens or Jeannie yet they were controlled by the men in their lives. Kept small…

Husbands that yelled at and belittled by their spouse like Lucy Ricardo, Ethel Mertz, and Edith Bunker and Alice Kramden. Beloved shows that are classics.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, That Girl, Julia, and The Partridge Family these shows that portrayed women in careers. Mary and Ann were single, while Julia and Shirley were moms who were widowed…

I grew up having no idea how powerful women were… And that they were powerful because they wanted to be, not because circumstances forced them to be. Just no idea as I didn’t see it on TV or learn it in school.

I grew up during a time watching ladies fight for ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) to be passed. First introduced in 1923 yet it would take four decades to be passed, which it finally was in March of 1972.

I saw so many hostile feminists. At the time, they scared me — it seemed like they were all about man bashing and yelling. “Why did women want to work? Weren’t they supposed to take care of the kids while the husband supported the family?” That’s what I saw in my life and on TV — I didn’t understand…

Our brains are in theta mode (like sponges) up until the age of 7. That is when our beliefs are formed. By family, especially parents and by our experiences and surroundings.

As we grow, those thoughts do not. They become limiting beliefs. And they stop us until we become conscious and free ourselves of those thoughts.

Think of it this way, How many of you would want a 6 year old as the pilot flying your plane? You wouldn’t, right? Yet how many of us have our 6 year old selves running our lives? I heard Jack Canfield share this once.

I grew up, had a career but that was only until I would find Mr. Right. I married young, started a family and stayed home. I followed what I knew — and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything!

I know it was my soul’s purpose to do just that. I also had a passion to serve others and was very active in philanthropy.

When my ex decided to leave, I was lost. I was just getting back into the work force. I never had to support myself or even live on my own. Now what?!

Then came my soul’s purpose phase II. I truly believe our life or soul purpose is not just based on one thing but evolves as we do. With the continued passion to serve others, I entered a coaching program for training…

…and moved into the direction of starting my own business, NEWLAND WELLNESS.

The little girl in me shakes her head — she can’t believe what I am looking to do. Never in her wildest dreams! A man is supposed to financially support us. She feels one way — I now feel another…

I know there are many women out there around my age who have either experienced a similar childhood as me, or were latch key kids (as they were called) with moms working struggling to make ends meet.

Now is the time for us to come together. As I have spent years empowering myself, I look to help other ladies who are on the journey to who they are now meant to be.

As the song says… And breaking every jello mold…

I now see that I am a feminist — and have been all along. It was my choice to stay home to raise my kids. And it’s now my choice to step into this next level, into a NEW beginning.

Unlike the feminists of my childhood, I look to come from not a place of fight or anger (no judgement on how they were- times were different!) but to come from a place of love and gratitude.

I don’t feel women are better than men — I feel we should be a team. Both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. I desire unity, not division.

I have been surrounded by conscious men who have been so supportive of my vision and have been extremely helpful in me moving forward. I want to celebrate them as they help me — and other women rise…

…and on this platform of Medium, I would like to say a massive thank you to Thomas Anderson, JeffHerring.com, Tim Maudlin, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Rasheed Hooda, B. A. Cumberlidge., Timothy Key, Henery X (long) for being so supportive of me and my journey. I am so very grateful — more than words can say…

And my fellow writer male friends, also conscious men, who have been on this journey through Illumination with me as well. Thank you for your support, along with comments that you have shared Paul Myers MBA, P.G. Barnett, Terry Mansfield, Kevin Buddaeus, Salam Khan, Bob Jasper, Indra Raj Pathak, Joe Luca, Bill Abbate, John Ross. I am grateful.

And my soul sisters, I celebrate you, as we are on this journey together. Some of us have been on the career path for awhile, some are just getting started. All of us accomplished: Trista Ainsworth, Amy Marley, Gurpreet Dhariwal, Selma, Desiree Driesenaar, Keno Ogbo, Nomanono Isaacs, Dipti Pande, Francine Fallara, Sandra Szubert, Ann K Frailey, Karen Madej💛, Kathryn A. LeRoy, Ph.D., Aurora Eliam, CMP, Sumera Rizwan, Erin King

I hope I didn’t leave anyone out… To those not mentioned who have or will follow me — thank you! I truly appreciate how well received I’ve been and that you take the time to read what I write. I feel the love, and I send it back…

Here’s my video of article on Illumination’s YouTube channel :

Until next time ~

Sending you light, love — and visions of Equality & Unity among our genders.

Be Well,