For most of my married life I’ve been known as, “A trailing spouse.”
Doesn’t it sound awful? It sounds derogatory. I often wonder why no better term could have been coined for something which would become almost a career vocation for many expats.
My job was to organise our international moves, find schools, Doctors and dentists, cope with the emotional fallout when the kids left friends on distant continents, and be the back-up team, who wrote freelance travel features in her spare time.
But once I was a secretary.
Way back in the 1970’s the job was a good one to have, and when you trained at secretarial college your teachers kind of inferred that you might end up working for a millionaire or a mogul – Hah!
Nowadays I don’t know anyone who’s a secretary. Is it just another job which has fallen foul to the ravages of time and new intelligence.
I wonder what other now defunct jobs there are in this brave new world of ours?
Women Over 50 with stories to tell
Would you like to be featured in this series – “Once I was a ….” I’d love to hear your stories. Please let me know in the comments.
Stylish Separates for Over Fifties
Sounds like your job as a secretary put you in good stead with all that organizing for the rest of your life Jo. You’ve certainly had an interesting life. I was never a PA, but worked in offices all my life – only because I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up. My, after kids, work was all in male dominated industries. I had all men at home and all men at work….. lucky I had a couple of close girl friends with all that testosterone around!
Lol! Absolutely Jill it put me in good stead – made me a bit more organised than my general nature is! Phwoah, that was a lot of testosterone to deal with!
So interesting to find this! My first “real job” after college was working in the movie business in Hollywood! I worked at the talent agency that put together the mega hit, “America’s Funniest Home Videos”! But I hated working with actors and actresses! I wanted to follow my dreams to be a screenwriter, so I went to graduate school to hone my skills as a storyteller… with big plans to go back to Hollywood to chase big dreams! But halfway through an intensive MFA in Creative Writing program, I fell in love with a dashing Navy fighter pilot! I put my dreams and goals aside for 20+ years to follow his career around the country and raise our 3 children. I’m finally starting to find myself again – to find my dreams – and to chase my goals! Thanks so much for this story!
Wow what a fabulous story Sheri 🙂 Thank you for sharing 🙂
Jo – how did I miss this post – you should have linked it up to #MLSTL! It made me smile to see you in the role of secretary – sounds like a job that prepared you perfectly to be the “trailing spouse” – lots of organizing and arranging (not just flowers!) I imagine you would be an EA these days if you were in the same sort of role – and a very successful one at that.
I used to be a Dental Therapist in my previous life – all that spit and plaque – don’t miss it at all!
Hi Leanne, I was in Borneo when this post published so it didn’t get promoted to #MLSTL – maybe I should though. Thanks for your comments 🙂
I don’t think I ever officially had the title of “secretary” but I certainly performed the duties in various jobs …
Lol – I think a lot of so called ‘womens’ work in the old days consisted of various secretarial duties as well.
I too was a secretary Jo. I quite liked it but I had another couple of jobs as well. I didn’t go to secretary school because I did a commercial course at high school which covered it all, but not flower arranging lol.
It’s so interesting how we all started out, isn’t it Jan? This tribe of women that we are from a different era now. Sometimes I feel it’s like yesterday that I was a secretary but then I realise how much times have changed and how the years have intervened.
Jan, would you like to write a short guest post about your early jobs?
Sure I would like to do that. Sorry I didn’t see this before now! Came back to it through your newsletter. 🙂 Would you send me an email with what you require. Thanks. 🙂
Received Jan, and thank you 🙂 Can’t wait to publish your story soon 🙂
What a novel idea. I can just picture you as a secretary Jo. I actually worked in office admin for most of my working days and then did a course in accounting at TAFE and became a bookkeeper. I could put something together for you if you wish?
Lol! Was it the flower arranging Kathy? (I’m useless at it by the way!) I give full credit to anyone who does book keeping by the way, because numbers and me do not go together. YES please I would love something from you … anytime, no pressure.
Ok Jo, I’ll put it on the “to do” list.
Great! Thanks Kathy 🙂