Living in the Midwest is so absurd. I was at happy hour tonight, surrounded by other professional women, some who know me previously, some who do not. One of the newbies, when discovering I do have a boyfriend, immediately asked “when are you getting married?” Ugh. For reals? I’m nearly 40 but I look 35, I have a fabulous boyfriend, we travel and do fun things, I have an MBA, I earn $X (a hearty salary), I’m carrying a designer bag, and I just negotiated a kickass deal on my new ride. And yet? Not successful until I’m married. For the record, she’s a career woman, too; she was talking up a big business trip she has planned, and works closely with large organizations to help them reach their goals. But it always comes back to the ring… and the babies. I wouldn’t mind the ring but when it comes to babies? Totally unimportant to me - I’ll leave my legacy elsewhere and in other ways. But I still have to answer to society… as long as I’m here I’m nothing without a husband, a suburban home, and a child(ren). Makes me sad that women are still valued for their ability to pair up and procreate over and above their abilities in the workplace and career. When are we going to grow up and give ourselves new measures of success?
