Friday, June 08, 2007

The tyranny of the paycheck

My grandfather always handed over his unopened wage packet to my grandmother. She gave him his pocket money

My father was paid with 2 bankers drafts. One went straight to my mother who paid it into her Post Office Savings Bank account

As far as I know neither my mother nor my gran was ever required to account in any detail to her husband for how the money was spent

I have always had my own 'pay packet'. I cant really imagine what it must be like to depend on a husband, however generous & relaxed he might be about it

And I wonder how many fathers of daughters today would contemplate with any equanimity the prospect of their daughter being entirely dependent on another man?

And yet

In the 1970s I used to get into trouble with my feminist friends. Although I enjoyed my work, wouldnt have it any other way, most of my friends who were my age did not work. Many wished that they could. But I used to say Whoever thinks that Liberation means being tied to an office from 9 to 5 needs their head examined


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