Up, in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a Plane! No, it’s my dumb ass working 70 hours a week, taking care of a dog, getting divorced, singing in a band and wondering why I’m exausted!
The superwoman thing has to do with wanting to do it all and do it well. I want to make the world a better place. I want to be a part of movements and organizations that do good work and talk about that work. I want to advocate for good causes, and write about them here on this fine blog. I want to fit in the other stuff too- the dog, the music, the divorce… OK, well the divorce is the part that I definitely could do without. But when it is over, I’m going to fill that time with something else, for sure. Activism! I wish I had time to be a part of some of Jerusalem hell-raising efforts- I love a good throw down and I haven’t been involved in any of the latest protests against Jerusalem’s haredization (religious control and over run of the city).
I like the busy feeling- I thrive off of it. I want to feel like the world rests on my shoulders, like I hold it up. Narcissism? Maybe. But I don’t think so. I like doing good work, I want it to matter. I like being a good friend, a good family member, a productive member of society, an honest but still polite coworker, a good dog mom. But I still want to be young, go out, have fun. I want to have it all and do it all.
Recently on a particularly busy work day while I was nursing a leg injury and trying to balance a million things, I got a chat message that turned into a 
phone call that turned into a visit from people who found a tiny puppy and were on their way to a city kill shelter because they didn’t have time to find the pup a home. I couldn’t look away, maybe because I’m a good person, but probably also because I can’t resist the thrill of adding another project to an already overflowing plate. Saved a dog, found him a home via friendly a neighbor. Played with a puppy- nothing is better than puppies. But still, stupid. So stupid.
But then there’s the drain of trying to do it all. It’s too much. It’s too hard, It’s exausting and It’s unnecessary. If I drew my lines like I should- if I went home after a 7 hr day, if I had seperate email accounts for work that I only checked from my office, if I had thought twice about how much work a dog would be, if I only worked one of my jobs, if I lived with roommates, if I wasn’t writing this while also watch a movie. When was the last time I only watched a movie and didnt also check my email or write a blog post? Maybe if I forced myself to relax I would enjoy things more, relax more.
The superwoman complex isn’t all bad- it pushes us to be better, to want more. It both motivates us and pressures us. It is us, only some days we wish it wasn’t. But other days, we can see that it makes all the difference in the world.
If you haven’t heard Alicia’s Superwoman, you need to.
great song!
loved ur post
where did u get the picture from the top?
its hard 2 b a hero…good job!
And yet you still find time to write awesome stuff for my zine!
Yay for activism!