There’s a scene in the movie Wall Street where Darryl Hannah is coming out of the ocean, the sun is rising in the background and Charlie Sheen hands her a towel. She looks at him, smiles and says, “If I could have anything, this would almost do.”
The 1980′s were the time of shoulder pads, white tennis shoes on the subway and pumps at work. It was the entrance of women as a staple in the board room. But was it also the death of satisfaction in the female gender? A sunrise, the ocean, and for Chrissake Charlie Sheen – and it will “almost do.”
New York Times Op-Ed columnist Maureen Dowd argues “Women are getting unhappier.” Dowd claims the choices presented to women today are stressful – pushing a “must have it all” mentality on the population. On one hand, stay-at-home mothers face criticism from those that work and often working mothers face the same reverse criticism. And lets not even get into the plight of a woman who says she doesn’t want children or marriage – as the heads turn and eyes bug out with those who say, “You’ll change your mind when you’re 30. You’ll find him.”
Dowd says, “We’re happy to have our newfound abundance of choices, she said, even if those choices end up making us unhappier.”
Is Ms. Dowd onto something when it comes to satisfaction. Because hey, if you can’t be satisfied by a sunrise, the ocean and Charlie Sheen, my GOD, what can you be satisfied by?
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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