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From: moiram@tekgen.UUCP (Moira Mallison )
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.women,net.social
Subject: Re: *That* Survey Again...
Message-ID: <290@tekgen.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Aug-86 14:49:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekgen.290
Posted: Mon Aug  4 14:49:53 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Aug-86 21:39:29 EDT
References: <586@ssc-bee.UUCP>
Reply-To: moiram@tekgen.UUCP (Moira Mallison )
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Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
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Xref: dcdwest net.singles:13376 net.women:10674 net.social:1125

In article <586@ssc-bee.UUCP> fuji@ssc-bee.UUCP (Glen T Fujimori) writes:
 
>2. The "Superwoman" myth. Interesting. I guess I never paid much attention 
>   before, but with the onset of feminism and women's lib alot of todays 
>   females were led to believe that they should have a good job, a husband and 
>   a family and excel in all of them. The view stated on the program: an
>   admirable goal but realistically not possible.

This definition of the "Superwoman" myth is not quite accurate, as I see it.
Aspiring to "Superwoman" is to want to not only excel in my career, but to
want to excel in the role of homemaker on the same terms my mother did.  
This is unrealistic.

However, it is completely realistic to expect to excell in a career, and
have a good family life as well  (Men have expected it for hundreds of
years!).  Among my acquaintances, the women who have succeeded in "having
it all" are among the healthiest physically and mentally, because they
have realized they can't "DO" it all.   I think many women are attached
to the homemaking because that is traditionally where we have had our
power.  And thats where the hard choices come.  Are our standards too
high? 

Personally, I'm a pretty casual housekeeper (as is my mother).  I tend
to let the clutter collect in the living room for two or three days and
then make one clean sweep of it.  As ridiculous as it seems at the age
of 35, I still find myself apologizing when my mother drops by and its
Day 3, and there are books and newspapers and projects stacked....why?
As long as there's a place to sit, *she* doesn't care.  Just old
patterns... and these are the kind of patterns that we use to burn
ourselves out in the quest of being "Superwoman".

Moira