October 29, 1966

Saturday night, 40 years ago, 137 East 28th Street, New York City.  This was Ron's rent-controlled, one-bedroom apartment, only $112 a month.  A few weeks before, I'd moved in from a $160/month studio, four blocks south.

He was a grad student at New York University.  I was Publicity Director for The Children's Aid Society, had started a Master's in Counseling.  We met at a conference; Ron presented and I asked questions from the audience.  One way to describe our years together.

Friday we met Nick and Leanne, son and daughter-in-law, to look at strollers for their baby, a little girl due in January.  Nick handed us a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from them, suggested dinner at Caliban, a bar and restaurant near where we'd lived in the 60s.  Gone, we reported. 

Googling for notable other events on today's calendar, I found Wonder Woman Day in Portland, Oregon.  That would have been fun: an auction on poster representations of this icon plus chance to have a picture taken with a "gorgeous Lynda Carter as mannequin."  With the three hour time difference, I might be able to alert our daughter Rachel to get her photo snapped.  It's only a few blocks from where she lives and benefits two important places--domestic violence shelters in Portland.

Later in 1966 NOW, the National Organization for Women was organized; this link  celebrates Kathryn F. Clarenbach, first chairwoman.  Wilma Scott Heide, another important and less known member of the original group was famous for her declaration,  "I do not refer to myself as a 'houseife' for the reason that I did not marry a house."    Busy with my own domestic life--leaving New York, having children-- it was not until three years later that I began to think of myself as a feminist--and get into trouble for it!

Looking back, I'm convinced that love plus feminism has made this marriage work.  Reader, he agrees.

Comments

[Claude]

A lovely post with a great photo. Thanks

[doulicia]

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the story.

[Fran Malone]

Your last comment is so true - it is all about balance between love and feminism. I never considered myself a feminist all these 34 years of marriage - just a wife that was low maintenance and very independent. Must have been OK with the Mister because we renewed our "contract" on our anniversay for 34 more years

So here is a salute to the balance between love and feminine independence...