Claire:
There has been a lot of talk for quite some time about Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's book, "Lean In," which encourages businesswomen to "lean in, rather than opt out" of their careers, among other things. It's a feminist manifesto of sorts, but one of the more interesting bits is Sandberg's advice that women abandon the myth of "having it all." In Sandberg's opinion, "the very idea of having it all flies in the face of the basic laws of economics and common sense." A recent article in The Washington Post, however, suggests otherwise.
According to the article, "Lean in, and lean on grandma," all America needs is a little cultural shift. In China, women hold 51 percent of positions in senior management, and about 19 percent of China's chief executives are women. America's women do appear to be getting a bum deal when you compare numbers (only 20 percent of senior managers and 4 percent of Fortune 500 chief executives are women in the U.S.). Why are Chinese women so free to be driven and successful? Because, according to The Washington Post, grandparents care for a whopping 90 percent of Chinese children on a daily basis.
Imagine all that parents could save with free child care: not only money, but also time spent transporting a child to and from day care, as well as the anxiety that comes with handing your kids over to looked after by relative strangers. It does sound like an ideal situation, doesn't it?
Then again, there's that whole pesky idea of a "cultural shift" something that's much more difficult to carry out than it might sound. After all, we Americans don't necessarily live in a community-based culture, and many of us are more likely to ship our parents off to nursing homes than we are to keep them around long enough to raise our children. Not only that, but grandparents who are healthy (and wealthy) enough often consider retirement a time to relax, travel, and enjoy life unfettered by children (other than the occasional visit with the grandkids). Although the respite may be well earned, it still leaves a majority of parents rather isolated, and it certainly leaves little wiggle room for women to explore venues other than perpetual mommyhood and half-baked careers. In America, it's all too often every man or woman for himself.
I agree that a cultural shift is most likely needed, what with the cost of day care rapidly increasing and the economy on shaky legs, to say the least. By that same token, however, grandparents are also retiring later in life to compensate, and "Grandma's day care" may not be a viable or appealing answer either.
Jim:
My Franklin & Marshall College alumni magazine arrived in the mail yesterday. Usually, my interest in the mag is limited to the obits and class-news pages … which with the passage of time will become one and the same, I suppose. However, the cover story in this issue caught my eye. A 1960 F&M grad (yeh, he's 74) is pursuing an "encore career" as a national park ranger at Yellowstone. The cover shot shows him looking very much at home where the buffalo literally roam. For 30 years he had held a desk job. Now, there he is in his Smokey Bear outfit, complete with sidearm, binoculars, and who knows what other cool gadgets.
The story started my old brain buzzing. What might I do for my encore, when I'm ready to stop renewing my law license? Patrolling a national park seemed a little too rustic for my urban tastes. A bit of web surfing turned up AARP's list of retirees' "most popular" jobs:
Ÿ Caterer: My wife Joanne would be great at this. She's a great cook. She's very organized. But me? I'd chew my way through all the profits and wind up obese and bankrupted. This one is definitely out.
Ÿ Floral Assistant: Again, Joanne would be fantastic at this. She's highly creative and has terrific taste. But me? I have hay fever. No way I can make this my encore.
Ÿ Tour Guide: Well, my first job ever was as a tour guide in Jim Thorpe's Asa Packer Mansion. I was 15 and the job paid 50 cents an hour. So maybe? Nah. It would be more of a regression than an encore. It's out, too. However, Joanne might like to give it a try someday. She's very amiable and her curiosity is contagious.
Ÿ Store Greeter: Yet again, Joanne would be terrific in this role. She is a true "power shopper." She would know the retail establishment where she worked inside-out, stem to stern, top to bottom. But me? I fully intend to be a cantankerous curmudgeon when I call it quits. Definitely out.
Hmmm … looking back at this list, it looks as if my better half would be far better at all these popular options than would I.
Say! Maybe I could baby-sit our grandchildren --- Grandpa's day care --- and Joanne could have herself an encore career. I think I like it.