Be Ready When the Luck Happens

by Ina Garten

It was the longest road trip I’d ever taken, and no matter how many miles we covered, we always seemed to be in Kansas, surrounded by endless fields. The

Women everywhere were rethinking their roles and responsibilities. Yes, we had new opportunities in the 1970s, but it began to dawn on us that we were expected to add them to whatever we did in our traditional roles. It wasn’t having it all, it was doing it all.

We were both shocked. Later, we found out that some banks actually required married women to submit a “baby letter,” signed by their doctor, promising they would not get pregnant if they wanted to be considered for a mortgage. Really? Even in 1974, this was borderline medieval, but it was not even an option at our bank, which quickly became not our bank. How was it possible that someone who worked in the White House couldn’t get a mortgage? Even worse, I didn’t exist?