When I was Growing Up Prompt #6 Colours: Pink, Pink You Stink
Like many females of my generation, I rebelled against the color pink.
The 1950s popularization of pink came from Mamie Eisenhower as she turned the White House into what some referred to as the Pink Palace. Mamie was dubbed “The Mother of Pink” and said, “Ike runs the country. I turn the pork chops!” (Not that she did a lot of cooking in the White House.)
Women realized the setbacks that had occurred in the post-war years and they began rebelling against the idea that a woman’s place was in the home.
Women who held paying jobs were mainly limited to jobs as teachers, nurses, or secretaries. My local paper’s “Help Wanted Male” and “Help Wanted Female” headlines didn’t disappear until 1973. And until 1978, if a working woman became pregnant, her employer had the right to terminate her employment.
During this time if you were unmarried, a bank could refuse to issue you a credit card. If you were married, your husband was required to cosign.
Wearing dresses to school was compulsory when I was growing up. It wasn’t until 1972 that Title IX non-discrimination provisions, declared that dresses could not be required of girls in (public) schools.
In what was an act of rebellion, I vowed that if I ever had a daughter, I would never dress her in pink.
I followed through on this promise, and I never dressed my two baby daughters in pink. And, of course, as one would expect, my oldest daughter loved the color pink. So when we moved back to the East Coast from California, they chose the paint colors for their rooms. My eldest daughter painted her walls a Pepto Bismol pink. My youngest daughter chose two shades of dark blue.
I very much doubt that I will ever own a piece of pink clothing. However, it is spring on the pond, and I am waiting for the first pink lady slipper flower to appear along the path in the woods. So, if I’m honest, I must admit that I love the color pink.
With Love & Healing Energy by the Pond,
Laurel
