Forget the Career. My Parents Need Me at Home.
The New York Times, November 24th, 2005
WASHINGTON, Mich. - Until last February, Mary Ellen Geist was the
archetypal career woman, a radio news anchor with a six-figure salary
and a suitcase always packed for the next adventure, whether a
third-world coup, a weekend of wine tasting or a job in a bigger market.
But now, Ms. Geist, 49, has a
life that would be unrecognizable to colleagues and friends in Los
Angeles, San Francisco and New York City. She has returned to her
family home near Detroit to care for her parents, one lost to dementia
and the other to sorrow.
Ms. Geist sleeps in the dormered bedroom
of her childhood and survives without urban amenities like white
balsamic vinegar. She starts her days reminding her father, Woody, a
sweet-tempered 78-year-old who once owned an auto parts company, how to
spoon cereal from his bowl.
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