A NY Times columnist recently asked: Is the opt-out revolution coming to an end?
She talks about stay-at-home mothers returning to the workforce as a result of their husbands’ layoffs, and points out that while it makes for an interesting story, it’s not a reflection of reality. The truth is, she writes, “most women in this country are just going about their business, much as they always have.” Women forced to return to work after living a life of leisure (although most stay-at-home mothers would argue the leisure part) are interesting subjects, but the women who are really hurting are the ones in blue-collar jobs. They were struggling to make ends meet before the economy tanked and their suffering has been amplified because of it. Meeting the demands of life requires working, and working hard, for these women and the prospect of a work-life balance is so far in the distance it’s not even on the horizon.
