Natalie Said:

When you look at career choices today do you feel just a twinge of something like envy?

We Answered:

I do understand what you are saying. My problem was parents not looking ot the future but stuck in the present or past. They both felt I needed to be a stay at home mom, raise a family and take care of my husband. I was not encouraged all through my growing up years. I was all too intimated by them. It makes me angry sometimes when I think I allowed that, but as a kid with those kind of parents, what do you do? With me, and the bringing up I had, 10 yrs earlier would have been best for me to grow up in. I feel like a fish out of water. I did attend trade school, but when my son was born handicapped, I was in a postion to stay at home and focus on raising him to be the best he could. I wonder if parents realize how much their 'positive, or negative,' input effect their children. Don't raise your kids or grandkids the exact way you were. Times are much different now. Girls should have as much encouragement as boys, but yet there are still those that will feel girls are not as capable. I disagree. I feel like my life was and is such a waste, other than what I did to help my son. I would have loved to been encouraged and told I could be anything, I wanted to be rather than, "you don't need to learn this or that because you will get married and raise a family." All I knew was as an example and that was my mother's life as a homemaker. I would have loved to have been a psychologist, or in some part of the health field, forensics seem very exciting. I was weak when I should have been strong and stood up for myself, but I did not and have paid for it ever since. Yes, many of the careers that are offered to day to women, were tabu years ago. You didn't dare try for a man's job. pfft. I am not envious, but am excited that the young ladies of today are strong and have better opportunities, more than ever. Sorry for the lengthy answer, this hit a nerve with me for not being a strong enough person to stand up for what 'I' wanted. Though many would say it is too late, I feel it is very much too late. Interesting question.