Alice Parker
In the tumulous 1970’s, four, twenty-five year old, female friends - BETH, CONNIE, MICHAEL and APRIL - newly divorced with children - had no idea how their lives couldchange so radially, or quickly. Prior somewhat ordinary, they became like ’sex & the city’ forChicago suburhanite housewives, as willing participants in escapade sex, some drugs and toomuch alcohol. The U.S. in quite an upheaval with protest marches of all types, but these young,women were rarely vocal concerning politics, the Viet Nam war, or the inequality of the sexes.They liked men, just not the ones they were married to, and not fairytale-dreamers, a littleromance would be nice. So, they experimented dating men, not acceptable before: tried somedrugs, drank too much, laughed a lot, and dance their cares away. With new male-attention,they grew more brazen and confident, exploring the gamut of willing men for dalliance orclandestine. Included were bikers and even a ménage a trois with a famous movie star forConnie and Beth, which actually empowered them all. Anything was possible with freedomand independence.They took college classes, started a house-cleaning service, then thought about their changes, asthe friendships shifted, but support of each other remained. Dilemmas-decisions of children-choices real careers and the 'biggie’ of remarriage came up, with a sense of wiry-stire andsarcasm in situations to handle whatever hit them. Life separated them, when Beth and Aprilmove out of State, then Beth overseas - still they reunite frequently. Definitely changed-women years later, in many different ways. And yet, some things did not change, in how theysupported each other through thick and thin circumstances, which would have torn weaker-women apart. At times, their history together was the foundation which kept them movingforward through life’s harshest realities. Still fiends, their changed lives encouraged manywomen around them to do the same, sharing their memories and experiences regarding thecrazy-times of younger years.
