I was excited about the reunion and wondered what caused not just a few, but
everyone in our group to leave religious life and return to secular life. I learned
several of the women left after eight, ten, or more years. What I couldn’t figure
out was how they were able to function in the world as they found it.
In an early draft of the book, I included significant events by year through the 1960s and 70s. It was my way to measure the enormity of the number and remember the impact of many of those events. If I was attempting to find why individuals left, it also seemed necessary to determine the effect of the changed society on an individual’s ability to reintegrate.
Ultimately, I dropped the whole section, because it didn’t fit. Periodically I look at the list by year. It included what I considered only primary civil rights, women’s movement, and Viet Nam War events.
I still find the list staggering. At some later point, I might post the list of events here. The older folks can take a trip down memory lane. Those who are younger might be interested in seeing them in one place and realize how many significant events were making the news at the same time or only months apart.
P.S. I would not be opposed to hearing stories of funny things that happened to
you or others while in the convent – convent humor in the Comments section.
