1980

When Michael and Noelle were teeny, the Equal Rights Amendment was an issue in the forefront. Its existence caused great alarm in the Mormon community and I was a victim of the scare tactics. Stories of women in foxholes were almarming, tand he feminists seemed like crazed demon-women, bra burnings were humiliating. To my way of thinking the feminists were not very feminine. Were these women really female? They were a different brand, that's for sure. It was a very polarizing, emotional issue. Not one woman I knew, including myself, supported the ERA and we were quite emotional about it, yes even crazed. There was a woman from Nampa named Helen Roelofs who wrote shocking, pro-ERA articles in the Idaho Statesman. I couldn't stand it. I wrote a Letter-to-the Editor in regards to one of her articles. It took me forever to compose and I thought it was a masterpiece. It was very emotional. You could hear the sobbing in the background by reading the letter. I was so proud when my opinion that a woman's place was at home raising children and supporting a husband was printed in the newspaper. A few days later to my surprise, Helen Roelofs called me. What a gracious, articulate woman she was. She thanked me for my response to her article and we chatted for awhile. I was confused. Helen Roelofs wasn't a crazed demon-woman. She was intelligent, mature and gentle. I went to the library and checked out a book, Having it All, by Helen Gourley Brown, a prominent businesswoman and feminist. I loved it, but now that I am older and wiser, I realize that women shouldn't have to have the impossible burden of thinking they can have it all. Why can't we just have what we want?