Um, I looked around and I thought, I do not want to be a secretary.

I haven't even learned how to type in two years.

Ah, this is definitely not something I wanted to do.

Um, I had a a girlfriend, girlfriend, and I We were, um I guess kind of kind of the rebels.

At that time, I was going to school in Boston and she and I just just kind of clicked and and we started to break out out of the mold.

We used to, uh, hitchhike around Boston, and it was it was easier than taking the empty A or by the bus.

We decided that we we really needed to to see the world together.

And the airlines were hiring.

They're they're hiring lots of people at that time because stewardesses only stayed for six months basically, and, um, we went for interviews, and we're both hired by the airlines.

And six months later, we were living in New York in an apartment with all the freedom we had always wanted, with everything at our at our disposal except a lot of money.

But it was great.

I mean, we had managed and, you know, I felt that I had managed to break out of the mold that was always said in front of me.

And I can remember, um, first of all, telling my parents that I was going to be a stewardess.

They were appalled at the idea.

And then I went back to my high school and I went to a Catholic high school, and I told the the head none that I was going to be a stewardess.

And I thought she was going to just fall right off her chair.

She thought it was the worst thing in the world that I could possibly be doing and that I was damned to a life of San.

And I was going to hell.

Um, and she prayed and she told me that sitting there it was, but I But it was what I had to do to break out of the mold that I had fallen into.

And I knew at that time that I that I was not going to, um, probably settle down with the white picket fence and have lots of kids.

Um, I was I was still thinking about marrying my high school sweetheart at that time, but I knew in the back of my mind that this this has been more of a break for May.

Then then just a career.

It was it was a whole life lifestyle break and that I probably would not end up marrying this people.

And I wasn't even sure at that point that I ever wanted to have Children.

What I thought I was getting into when I became a stewardess in the sixties was to be independent.

First of all, that was that was the main thing independent.

Um, I have spent a lot of time traveling back and forth from Boston to Rochester as I went to school, and I I liked it.

Probably superficial.

But I liked the way they looked, and I liked the freedom that I thought they had in the exciting lives I thought they had.

I thought it looked it looked glamorous in the uniforms, were wonderful.

Um, Then they they flew on Jenny airplanes and head up the opportunities that never, never could be imagined.

So by breaking, breaking out of that mold.

I had all of this at my disposal.

However, uh, when I when I arrived there, it was not quite the way I thought it was going to be.

Um, I think I think it's done.

What started with the airlines in the sixties and progressed into the seventies before the woman's movement really put a clamp on it was that I'm Cindy fly me.

Um, it was an exploitation of woman.

Ah, young, innocent females.

Because that time you could not be married, you had to be single.

It was.

The airlines used the stewardess as an advertising, uh, gimmick that, um, would lure male passengers.

Um, we had a flight that went from New York to Chicago five o'clock in the afternoon.

And if you're not a man, you could not book on that flight.

Uh, it was an all men's flight.

We gave out free liquor, free cigars and little prices.

It was it was a gimmick.

And the stewardesses on that flight were part of the gimmick to attract the passengers.

When when you signed on for this life of liberation, you actually we're we're signing in blood because your life was was not liberation.

When you went in for your trip, you were Your appearance was checked.

But not only your parents, but you were asking sometimes pinch to make sure that you were wearing a girl.

Ah, the rules and regulations were We're like the military.

Um, she was polished, nails done, hair groomed and in a certain wear, our hair could not be any longer than chin length.

Um, there were some some girls who did have longer hair, but they had to wear wicks.

It was extremely regimen it.

The airline had expectations for both on the job performance and also off the job.

And they were a part of your life.

Whether you're on the airplane or not.

You you could not be married.

Uh, and you had to resign when you were 32 years old.

If you for some reason did become pregnant, they were helpful in finding an adoption agency.

No one would be told it would be totally secret.

If you wanted to have an abortion, they would would know about it.