Simple Living | Barbara Frank Online

Twenty years ago, British journalist Valerie Grove decided to interview women who “had it all” for at least 25 years. She defined having it all as:

“…they had to have been married for more than 25 years and have had three or more children, as well as a brilliant career.”

She turned her findings into a book, The Compleat Woman: Marriage, Motherhood, Career – Can She Have It All? Her conclusion was that it was very rare for a woman to be able to successfully juggle a husband, children and successful career.

Now, a British newspaper has marked the twentieth anniversary of the book’s publication by going back and interviewing some of the women whose lives were chronicled in it to see if they think it’s gotten any easier to “have it all.” The very interesting (and lengthy) article is worth reading, but if you’re pressed for time, I’d like to share a couple of key points these women now make, as they look back on their lives from the vantage point of old age. Continue reading →

James Garner

The detective shows of the 1970s hold a special place in my heart. There were several that I really enjoyed. Now that so many shows are available on dvd, I can relive those days pretty easily.

One thing I’ve noticed is that people’s homes in these shows were actually pretty basic compared to today’s homes. The typical house shown in “The Rockford Files” (watch for free at this link) or “The Streets of San Francisco,” to name just two series, was modestly decorated in mostly functional furniture with some pictures on the wall and, of course, the requisite large console television.

Even the depictions of wealthy people’s homes weren’t nearly as packed full of expensive furniture and decorations as what you see on television and in movies these days. Back then, we didn’t keep up with designer furniture, if there even was much of it. Now, most everyone has to have the latest of everything.

I think things began to change once “The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” became popular. Until then, I doubt most people cared about what celebrities had in their homes. Not that no one ever cared, but the focus that we’ve seen in recent years on who’s got what wasn’t an issue until around the time that show came on. I guess it created a lot of envy.

I like to watch the 1970s shows because they reflect a simpler time, when people weren’t so hung up on having things. You see people dressed normally but not in anything spectacularly eye-catching. Designer duds had not caught on yet. I like the casual way Jim Rockford threw on his sports jacket if he had to go to police headquarters, or the old clothes he wore to go fishing with his dad Rocky. No flash, that’s for sure. Even his home, an old trailer on the beach, reflected utility rather than impressive design.

When I drive through areas with McMansions built over the past decade, empty all day while their owners work to make the massive house payments that came with the houses, I think about how most people used to consider their homes shelter, not something to impress people. They wore clothes for practical reasons rather than to make a statement about their wealth.

Maybe I’m just getting old, but I think life was a lot simpler then. That might be why I like those 1970s television shows so much.