With so much bad news this past week, we felt a double
whammy when our beloved Mary Tyler Moore died.
I often feel sad when celebrities I have enjoyed and admired over the years pass away, but I actually cried when I saw some of the tributes to Mary. Many of us lived our own lives through the lovely character on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. My generation of women had little to no encouragement for doing anything other than being a housewife or, if we furthered our education and worked until we married, we could become teachers, nurses, or secretaries.
I chose teaching but I was not really cut out to teach children. I took their problems home with me, worried and upset my husband with my worries. Barry begged me to quit my job. I wanted to fix the sad home lives of some of my students, miraculously find a way to bring home their fathers or heal that hurt they had buried deeply inside. I left public school to co-teach and direct a private kindergarten. The part I liked best was the business end of that job.
“She only wanted to play a great character, and she did so. That character also happened to be single, female, over 30, professional, independent, and not particularly obsessed with getting married. Mary had America facing such issues as equal pay, birth control, and sexual independence way back in the ’70s.”
I often feel sad when celebrities I have enjoyed and admired over the years pass away, but I actually cried when I saw some of the tributes to Mary. Many of us lived our own lives through the lovely character on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. My generation of women had little to no encouragement for doing anything other than being a housewife or, if we furthered our education and worked until we married, we could become teachers, nurses, or secretaries.
I chose teaching but I was not really cut out to teach children. I took their problems home with me, worried and upset my husband with my worries. Barry begged me to quit my job. I wanted to fix the sad home lives of some of my students, miraculously find a way to bring home their fathers or heal that hurt they had buried deeply inside. I left public school to co-teach and direct a private kindergarten. The part I liked best was the business end of that job.
On Mary’s show, she became executive producer. She seemed to
be a little surprised as well as quite proud of herself. I was proud of her and
admired her clever way of dealing with the men who could not quite get
their heads around her goals and decisions. Young women like I was at the time
saw her as a role model. Successful women like Oprah and Katie Kuric and others give Mary Tyler Moore credit for the lives they lead today.
Tonight I watched several of the tributes to her and noticed
that women, men and young people participated in singing that well-known theme
song and by tossing their hats in the air. I miss the clean shows with messages
for viewers, the comedic talent of actresses and actors who could make us laugh
but also put a lump in our throat or a tear in our eye.
I am sad about her death, too. She was one of a kind. :-(
ReplyDeleteHi DJan. Sad to say, but all those tributes were a blessed reprieve from all the news from the White House.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and for your recent blog post about the Women's March. Good post.
I was too young to appreciate Mary Tyler Moore, but my mother always watched her shows.
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