Diary of Vilma, The Unconquerable
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Vilma and the Fire of Desire

5/3/2015

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Thurs. January 3, 1952
I went out with Dick tonight and his ‘49 Ford Convertible to a drive-in movie and saw some crummy pictures. I don’t like him anymore. Talk about being a mad lover, well he isn’t it. When I go to a drive-in I like to neck & really go to town, but all he did was hug me and bore me stiff. I think he kissed me all in all three whole times and he is a bum necker anyway. He says he is going to come around on Saturday but he’s living in a pipe dream if he thinks I am going to go out with him again. I can’t help it if I am one lovable girl & I need lots of loving. I guess that’s why I liked Pinky so much because he was one great kisser.  

Friday January 4, 1952
Went roller skating to The Moonlight tonight with Mary Alice. She fell but flat 2 times in all. I laughed my fool head off. Danced with a lot of guys & had a gay old time.

I called up Dick today and told him not to come over Saturday as I had to work. Oh man what a lie, but as I don’t like him anymore I don’t want him hanging around. Buella came over tonight also, with Frank and some other guy. Frank is a little old, they make a real cute couple I think.

Sat. Jan 5, 1952
Went to confession tonight and then stayed overnight with Betty Jo.

Sun. January 6. 1952
Spent all afternoon with Betty Jo. The more I see of her the better because she is leaving in a couple of months. Man I sure will miss her. After all, we are best friends.

Went and visited Mary Alice today.
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Playing with fire

Dear Men: Since the beginning of time, all women have feminine wiles (or manipulations) built in to who they are as women. You will never escape! Oh, they can be used for good…or for bad. They are little girl games women play which exert their power and influence over you, most times you will never know what hit you. Remember Eve was the one persuaded by the devil to take the apple, yet Eve turned around and convinced her husband Adam to partake in this rebellion against God, which ultimately resulted in our fallen human nature. From this first instance in time we can clearly see the complex feminine power that God bestowed on woman.

Here Vilma was using this poor boy for her own pleasure, she then tossed him to the side when she did not get the level of affection she desired. Sometimes she grew pretty good at the art of female persuasion, other times she felt the weight of her guilt for using men for her own desires. It was always a battle against her fallen human nature and her faith. She knew all too well that she was playing with the fire of love & lust. And when you play with fire, you'll eventually get burned. Therefore a good confession was in order…. for the time being.

Where is Betty Jo going?
Back in the 1950’s unwed pregnant girls were sent off to maternity homes in their final months of pregnancy. Maternity housing in the 1950’s gave women a place where they could go to escape the stigmas associated with unwed pregnancies. This may have been a better place for Betty Jo anyway, as her own home life was a mess. After her mother passed away from a sudden illness two years earlier, her father began to turn to the bottle. In Betty Jo’s delicate condition, she really needed her mother in this moment of her life, unfortunately her father just could not fill the role of both mother and father. Once the stability of her family was broken, Betty Jo was longing to replace the love that her parents once gave her….but in all the wrong places. So she found her way into the arms of a man willing to give her some sort of relationship. Dannie, her twenty-something boyfriend was in no position to care for her, still being married himself. However he claims to love her and the baby and he is in the process of getting a divorce, so in the meantime off to the maternity home she will go.

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Vilma the "Comp" Girl

4/26/2015

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Vilma out with the boys
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Tues. Jan 1, 1952, New Years Day
Man what a crazy time me and Betty Jo had last night. She met me in L.A. after work and we went to Clifton’s and then went to the theater and saw some fine movies. We left the show at 12:00am and went down to the streets and they were packed! We were having a gay old time blowing our horns and throwing confetti, man what a racket. Crazy! Oh man, guys would gang up on us and kiss us & we got more New Year’s Eve kisses. We picked up 2 sailors for each other and they went around with us. Man we needed something, we were so popular we should have brought a club with us to beat the guys off of us. We didn’t get home till 3:15 am.

Wed. Jan 2, 1952

Went back to work today, ye old salt mines, same as ever, monotonous but simple. Being a Comp Girl is easy as 1. 2. 3.

Me & Betty Jo went to Devotions tonight and we prayed for her. Man she really needs the prayers I think. Being pregnant isn’t any simple thing to brush aside. She still loves Dannie though & vice versa. I hope he marries her but quick, but it won’t be for another year at least as he is already married. Betty Jo's middle name is capital TROUBLE. She is so headstrong & passionate and weak, but she is a good friend & I won’t let her down.
        
          Here we go! The first glimpse into the 1952 diary has been captured: Clearly, Vilma already loved the night life! And why shouldn’t she enjoy some fun? She was coming of age and care free. We also come upon her at a time when her best friend is in crisis. There is already a stark contrast between her and Betty Jo. What is it? Vilma’s purity has not been lost to the first guy she might have met and “fell in love” with. Instead of being care free like Vilma, as any teenager should be, Betty has given this married man her body and soul. She is now dealing with the drama of having a baby and being the "other woman" at the tender age of seventeen. 

Instinctively, Vilma knew what Betty Jo needed: a strong spiritual life in Christ and a good friend who would stick by her through thick and thin. It was characteristic of Vilma, not only back in her youngest days, but all throughout her life to try to encourage her friends and family to go to Church, Confession or Devotions regularly. She knew with every fiber of her being how important it was to return to God, no matter what mistakes have been made. It was always a sincere attempt, but sometimes we know the heart wants to go the way of the stubborn horse who doesn’t want to drink the refreshing water.

"The Comp Girl"
Vilma just started her first job here too, working in downtown Los Angeles in the Wilshire District, which was and still is the business and financial hub of the city. For women back in 1952, you were pretty much limited to lackluster clerical jobs or waitressing. A common clerical job was an entry level Comptometer Operator. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one asking “What on earth is Comptometer Operator”? It was a type of accounting job where young women like Vilma attended a trade school to learn how to work a Comptometer machine. To keep it simple we can just call it an early mechanical adding machine. The operator entered multiple calculations all by hand, these early "keyboardists" carried out between 50,000 and 200,000 keystrokes a day. Funny thing is there was never a peep about carpel tunnel syndrome!

One thing to know is that Vilma loathed boring jobs. She was young and full of zest for life, she craved excitement, fun and driving around in the hottest cars-- with the hottest boys to show off to her other girlfriends! We’ll see just how long this “Comp Girl” job lasts… and how things unfold with Vilma’s best friend Betty Jo. Stay tuned!


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The life of a Comp Girl
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    Author:

    Miriam Caldwell

    "A daughter's journey into her mother's long forgotten diaries".

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