Show Kathleen Norris Morris Says I Love Is s a Panacea for or Boredom Boredom Dell Bell Features 1 I l i il l r I 1 Io a l i Pam is h always II Interested always laughing always happy and amI I cant can't help being bored wondering whether its it's all worth while By KATHLEEN NORRIS I TT THAT HAT does it matter matterA WHAT A Aw w what at else ese you vou have kave V V or know or do demands demands demands de de- de- de mands Marigold Wilson disconsolately disconsolately dis dis- disconsolately dis- dis if il you haven't a good disposition What gives one woman a good disposition disposition disposition dis dis- dis- dis position anyway and gives another another an an- another other a horrible one like mine Im I'm better looking than my sister Pam my husband makes more money than hers my two children are pretty well weIl grown her four are still very small Yet Pam is always always al al- al- al 1 ways interested always laughing always happy and andI I cant can't help being bored wondering wondering won won- wondering dering whether its it's all worthwhile worthwhile worth worthwhile while fighting a dreadful sense of being left out of things missing things Pam looks at me as if she couldn't understand a word I say when I try to express the way I feeL Yet thousands of other women women women wom wom- en experience the same feeling of futility of frustration of failure In Ina a word to my sister life lite is one continual continual continual con con- adventure and to me its it's one continual flop Well of course we all know that mood as a mood But when it becomes becomes becomes be be- comes chronic it is dangerous It Itis Itis Itis is unfair to the children of the family family fam lam ily fly destructive to the wife and mother who indulges it and supremely supremely su su- supremely su- su cruel to the m man n who is tugging along at a dull job and vaguely aware that whatever he does Marigold isn't going to be happy Consequently the atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere of home is one of gloom and failure Several times during the many years when I have been writing these articles I have been accused accused accused ac ac- ac- ac of undue optimism Only this week I received an angry letter from a young woman in a Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Penn Penn- sylvania suburb who said among other things I wish you would get tired of telling us all that we can be successful successful suc suc- we can cnn be rich and fa fa- fa- fa All we have to do accordIng according according accord accord- ing to you Is put 10 in the tho bank every week and serve our men appetizing appetizing appetizing ap ap- ap- ap dinners made of cuts of beef bee neck and turnips Dont Don't you know that 99 women out of a never are rich famous or successful successful success success- ful You make other women bitter bitter bitter bit bit- ter when you talk that way Many Are Unsatisfied Well it never would occur to me meto meto meto to make these statements as quoted quoted e ed d here so Minnie Forster is mis mis- eq q quoting But I know what she means She means that a great many lives like that of Marigold in the opening questions are defeated defeated defeated de de- de- de and unsatisfied and that itis itis it itis is nothing short of maddening to tobe tobe tobe be told by older and more fortunate fortunate for for- women that their failure is not unavoidable What I have said repeatedly an and d what I say again now is that there is no life that may not be dignified dignified digs fied fled useful and fulfilled And when n you meet these conditions you cannot cannot cannot can can- not escape happiness All AU success is not what it seems Sometimes It Is the bitterest bitterest bit bit- terest sort of dead sea fruit All wealth is subject now to so 60 many taxes and obligations so many irresistible appeals for charity and general help as not notto notto notto to be wealth any lon longer er in theold the theold theold old sense As for fame it is a fruit with a poisoned core For every moment i 1 r l start m n amusing story BAD DISPOSITION Why i. i is it queries Marigold Wilson that some people are overflowing wit with cheerfulness s gaiety and good humor while I others live a life o of f dreadful boredom wondering about the futility of everything Some women regard life as abig a abig abig big happy adventure others tolerate it as a necessary dull routine Miss Norris explains that anyone whose life is dignified and useful cannot help reaping reaping reap reap- ing his share o of f happiness of delicious pride it holds two of restlessness envy doubt humilia humilia- tion Anyone who has had the slightest taste of fame knows that Hollywood Is more filled with disappointed disappointed disappointed dis dis- appointed lives than any other place I know except perhaps the ranks of the forgotten writers and Broadway actors Some have hadan had hadan hadan an exciting day some will have it after a while some never will Thousands feed hungrily upon long- long remembered triumphs triumphs the the wonderful wonderful wonder wonder- ful part in a 1922 play the story printed in 1918 the drama that got a 1000 prize after World War I. I Of course any womans woman's life has its glorious moments But believe me they can be as intense over Dads Dad's unexpected raise the splendid splendid splendid did new baby Harrys Harry's school record record record rec rec- ord or finding just the ideal summer summer summer sum sum- mer camp as over a Hollywood or Broadway success Love Is the Secret I For Marigold and Minnie too the secret and the cure are the same Put love Into your life lite deep love of children home husband garden books the blind children at the asylum the tennis courts atthe at atthe atthe the club Yes but suppose you dont don't feel love Well if you dont don't its it's your own choice Dig deep enough into your job and the love will come Even if it isn't easy make yourself yourself yourself your your- yourI I self put love into things and it will come back bade pressed down and running running running run run- ning over Put flowers on the dinner table and start an amusing story or a game when the family is gathered there Try a dozen mild little affectionate af af- gestures toward Tom Hes He's tired tonight How about the Wilson affair at the office Lets Let's sit out on the step after dinner Tom therell there'll be a moon Isn't this nice and restful just by ourselves Take up a language Russian or Spanish and amuse the family with new words Or move from that city flat to the country and whitewash fences watch the personalities of chickens grow a profitable crop of potatoes or sell the extra milk Write down 10 things that you are going to do 10 ridiculous and unrelated things Change my hairdo hair hair- do buy a camera get a kitten move furniture around in your room turn the storeroom into a game club and fill it with dominoes checkers puzzles pencils pads study home borne nursing learn to upholster upholster up up- holster sell candy to the women's exchange Years ago merchants from the South seas used to come back with all sorts of ot mixed treasures Make your life that sort of a voyage How to start Why by remembering these words Seek and ye shall find Ask and ye shall receive Knock and it shall be opened un to you |