Narrative structures and literary analysis

Sociology

My Mother's Work

My mother worked before she married my father and after I was born. When she was young, women went to college, but she didn't, because she really wasn't sure what she wanted to do for a career. In school, they still taught business and typing classes, and she took all those and did well in them, so eventually, she started working in an office. She answered phones, did paperwork, typed letters and documents, and even did some shipping of materials and products. She did this in several different offices, and just kind of "fell" into it as a career. When she started she was making $2.00 per hour, and that was OK money at the time. It allowed her to buy a car because she still lived at home.

That's what she did before she married my father, after they were married, and after the kids went to school. She has always worked in offices, and that is how I think of her, a "secretary" who could be so much more. My mom is very talented and creative, and I've always thought she was under-employed as a secretary. She manages a family, works, takes care of the house, and volunteers, too, so she has great time-management and coordination skills, but she does not seem to use these in her work. I've always thought that she could have been a department manager or leader in some way, but when we've talked about it, she always says she doesn't want that "much responsibility." The way I see it, she already has that kind of responsibility taking care of a home, family, and working too, but she's not getting paid or really recognized for it.

A typical day for my mom is to get up at 6AM, make breakfast for the family, then showers and dresses for work. She leaves for work around 7:30AM, and does not return until at least 6PM. During the day, she arrives at her office, readies her desk for the day, and then begins on any projects she had left over from the day before. She answers the phone for several people in the office, including department heads, and takes messages, relays information, and keeps track of these people's schedules. She also takes care of their communications, keeps their schedule books, and does paperwork for them, like expense accounts and other items. They depend on her for a lot of work, and I think she should be called at the very least an administrative assistant, but she sticks to secretary, such an outmoded term.

My mother said she never pictured herself as a secretary, and certainly not for this long, but once she started in that area, she had experience, and she didn't know what else to do. Probably the biggest aspect of change in her job was when computers came into offices. My mother said she was "very afraid" of computers, and afraid she would fall behind in technology and understanding, leaving her without as many employment options. She struggled to learn computers at first, and still only has a basic understanding of spreadsheets and peripheral software and hardware, but she really threw herself into learning word processing, and so, she has become a whiz at formatting and creating complex documents. The people at her office rely on her to create these documents, even when they do not relate to the people she works for. She never says "no," and always takes on these tasks, even though they might not be her direct responsibility. I think my mother is under-employed, but she does not see it that way. I think she could become a graphic designer or at least a document specialist, but she is content to remain in her own sphere.

I think my mother fears alienation if she changes job responsibilities. She has been at her present company for many years, and has seniority over many other office workers. She would be brand new and probably older than most of her peers if she went into another area of document creation, and I think that scares her. She will not say that to me when we talk, just that she's "content" where she is. I think my mother works too hard, and I wish that she would stop working, but she says we need the money and that she enjoys the day-to-day challenges of work.

I asked her how much longer she wants to work, and she says she's really not sure. My mother is very creative, and she enjoys a lot of hobbies like knitting, gardening, and cooking, and she does not have the time to do these things the way she would like. I wish she could retire, but she says working keeps her "young," and keeps her on her toes. She says that working gives her challenges that she would not get if she didn't work, and it keeps her mind active, too.