2) Early beliefs merge and change

Religion was also a huge influence in our area, where women are many times urged to be homemakers. These ideals conflicted, as they still do today. I felt from an early age onwards in my religious ed classes at church that it wasn’t right for the whole responsibility of a family to fall on women’s shoulders. That is a whole different kettle of fish, and too much for this article. Suffice it to say that from an early age my views on birth control, reproductive rights, family and even the marriage ceremony itself differed from my hometown peers.