Kelly Corrigan Wonders Thanks For Being Here - PT's Essay "To Be A Woman"
Nov 16, 2025
Discover the gripping story of Pat Tiehel, a suburban housewife whose powerful 1974 essay about feeling trapped sparked a journey of transformation. Uncover her struggle between motherhood and personal ambition, alongside the harsh realities of childcare and economic pressures. After a disappointing rejection from a magazine, her life took a remarkable turn as she earned a real estate license and thrived in a male-dominated industry. This heartfelt narrative explores ambition, hope, and the enduring legacy of a woman who dared to dream.
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Womanhood Stifled By Domestic Anchors
- Pat Teal wrote a candid 1974 essay describing the clash between her college training and life confined to home and caregiving.
- She described feeling split, frustrated by anchors of childcare and economics that kept her from pursuing aspirations.
Urgency Of Unfulfilled Personal Identity
- Teal captures the emotional urgency many women feel: a fear that time is running out to become something beyond wife or mother.
- That pressure fuels both resentment and the hope to accomplish something personally significant.
Childcare And Wages Create A Work Barrier
- Teal shows how practical childcare logistics and low wages make part-time work financially irrational for many mothers.
- This reveals a systemic gap where educated women are discouraged from paid work by economics and caregiving demands.