All they knew was that they wanted to be paid and treated equally in the work place and able to express their sexuality openly and freely.

The women of the time were not psychic and didn’t realize how the world would change or what it would be like some forty years later.

Because of those courageous women, who stood up to a man’s world, we are able to hold jobs that used to be reserved for men only. We can also wear what we want without fear of reprisals or being considered “easy”. That is the upside.

We are finding the downside that they didn’t consider during their struggle to bring us into that man’s world.

Though they didn’t think about it then, once these freedoms were attained men would have to start treating us differently. Not only at work but also at home.

Before Women’s Lib, men would stand if a lady came into the room. They would hold their chair for them and open doors. This behavior was considered respectful and women, as the givers of life and family caretakers, deserved that level of respect.

Now, because of the changes in attitudes, men aren’t even sure if they should open a door for a woman. There are some that like it and still others that find it offensive.

Men have been confused since then. They are told everyday that they should be respectful to women and treat them right, yet they aren’t given any guidelines to go by to know what that really is. It’s different for each woman.

We, as women, want it all because we have been told we can have it. We want to be able to work for the same pay and treatment as the men but we also want to have our families as well. We have spread ourselves too thin. We didn’t consider all the ramifications of the lives we were creating for ourselves.

Since that time our children have had to come home to empty houses after school to fend for themselves. The home cooked meals and sit down family dinners have been replaced with fast microwave dinners or something we picked up on the way home. We don’t have time in our busy schedules to do those things anymore.

Working mothers are not the devil spawn. On the contrary, they are trying to do everything they can to make it all work There are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that needs to be done. With or without the help of a man.

Throughout this growing process we have lost more than we gained. We have replaced the great respect we had with what we believed we wanted, equality.