I asked Mary how she juggled her varying roles. I felt I was living in the watershed, with one foot in the new and one foot in the old. Even with this job, covering nine counties, I still felt I had to get dinner ready even in the middle of a story. You felt like you were playing two roles at once. As we discussed the career options open for women today, Mary commented that she was surprised that so many young women want to be doctors or lawyers.
Women can have careers, be mothers or volunteer.
They have many more options than men. Near the end of our conversation, I asked Mary what her advice would be to mothers who work outside the home or to young Hood graduates just starting their careers. A man might compromise along the way because he may have a family to support and he may be afraid of losing his job. But the woman as the second wage earner should be able to be true to herself and what's right. She also had a challenge for women of all ages.