Changes

Out of habit, I normally sit in a pew near the back of church. I don't know why, just do. A couple of Sundays past, I noticed a greater number of bluish-grey-headed women as opposed to fewer greying-bald-headed gents. I understand that the female life expectancy is about seven years longer than their male (generation) contemporaries but examining the 'why,' I believe I have a valid theory.

I think women simply handle life's stages better than men and therefore avoid that state of mental or emotional tensions resulting from that male cut-throat, competive, demanding work place. Now before you ladies get hot under the necklace, I will explain. I am not suggesting men have greater demands of time and energy. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the WWII years when many women assumed men's factory jobs as they filled a void. However, that was hardly a womens' 'movement.'

 I'm a seventy-nine year old grey-headed old man. The oldsters in church are my contemporaries. We were born in the 1930's and early 1940's. During much of the first half of the 1900's women were happy being housewives...stay at home mothers. Believe me, I understand that's not an easy job. I've attempted taking care of household duties those times my wife was ill or recovering from surgeries...it ain't easy. However, it's not a vicious cut-throat world...it's the individual woman's defined job description.

Once retirement years came oldsters of my generation, I noted women more capable of shifting gears. They join the 'Red Hats' or other organizations, volunteer at church and hospitals or do pleasurable relaxing things i.e., antiquing. Men still get out of bed too early and look for projects.

The 1960's feminist movement across the USA brought changes to the status quo of the day and continue to impact today. Women compete with men for many of the jobs once held only by men and rightfully demand equal pay for the same work. Socially, I've noticed some used to be well-defined behavior pattern lines between the sexes become a bit blurred. Today many women dress like men, curse like men, smoke in public and frequent establishments which were once taboo.

I believe the coming generation of old timers will begin noticing equal gender numbers at Sunday morning worship services. HOWEVER, there's another change happening>>in the decade of 1950, fifty percent of professed Christians attended church regularly. Today, that number fluctuates between 14%-to-18%. It won't take long for the collection plates to be passed.