There was once a woman I went to school withlets call her Emily. Emily was, as we used to say, quite the belle of the ball. After finishing school, she went off to university to study law. When she was done, she decided to pursue a second degree, this time in business and management. It was at this second university that I met a young man and eventually married him myself. This young man earned a fine living and never pressed Emily to work; so, she finished her studies in peace, without worry.
When Emily completed her second degree, she didnt bother looking for work, but lingered at home. If any of her friends inquired about her situation, she would simply say she was perfectly satisfied with her life. She claimed her husband prized a tidy, comfortable home, and that she couldnt provide that if she was occupied with a job. Her husband gave her money for anything her heart desired, from beauty parlours to fitness clubs.
And so, this was how they lived. Every now and then, Emily would confess that her husband longed for a child, but she refused to entertain the subject. She had no wish for children at allher figure, her health, and her leisure time mattered far too much to her.
Their marriage endured for nearly a dozen years, after which the couple agreed to part ways. Emily never did say what drove them apart, and I would rather not presume. The separation meant her husband no longer supported her financially.
Now, she receives an allowance from her father, who is yet working. Still, these sums pale in comparison to what shed grown used to; maintaining that way of life has become a struggle. Her father urges her to find employmentafter all, shes a grown woman of thirty-five.
Emily turned to our circle of former classmates, hoping for help securing a position. One of them owned a shop in a shopping centre and suggested Emily take a job as an assistant. But Emily was having none of it. She replied that with her education, she couldnt possibly see herself sorting merchandise.
It rather amused us all. She lacks any real work experiencehaving graduated ages agoyet her expectations are sky-high. She wants a management role with a handsome salary.
What do you think of all this, then? Is there truly any kind of job one can expect to land at thirty-five, if ones never worked a day in her life?
