In the probably futile effort to clean up my office, I’ve been going through some old papers and found a piece I wrote back in the 70's, and thought it would be fun to share it with you now.
After months of frustration, listening to extreme feminists put down the idea of a housewife, and the extreme conservative women over-glamorizing the joys of wiping runny noses and spreading peanut butter and jelly, I wondered how a help wanted ad for a housewife might read. If it were and honest job description I think it would have to read something like this:
Help Wanted – Woman with energy, enthusiasm and imagination. An excellent opportunity for someone who likes to meet a challenge.
This is a managerial position. The person hired will be responsible for a smooth-running organization. With her partner she must visualize the overall direction of the organization and maintain smooth, steady control in the face of numerous daily interruptions. She must have a positive outlook and idealistic nature, being able to strive continually for a sometimes elusive goal.
The ability to handle difficult people at their most difficult times is essential. She will be responsible for happiness and harmony within the organization while actively directing the discipline and training of junior members.
The person in this position is also responsible for external public relations. She must maintain good will among friends despite potentially explosive situations and disagreements, and she must handle suppliers and creditors with finesse, knowing when to be firm and when to be soft.
This job requires someone who is a self-starter, able to initiate and carry through her own ideas and projects. She must be able to make decisions and accept responsibility for them.
Other desirable qualities include the ability to follow detailed instructions, give and take orders, keep schedules, meet deadlines and work on many projects at once. This is no place for a woman who can only go in one direction at a time.
Perhaps the most important attributes she must have are patience and a sense of humor in the face of impossible people and situations.
Satisfaction in this job will not come from praise, promotions or raises. The woman who will be happy in this position is one who is convinced of her own importance, the importance of the job, and who truly loves the people she is working with.
