Where's my damned gold star???

I'm a wife and a mother of four. Yay for me! I didn't get my gold star at the door so maybe there's a side entrance into this place? Everyone else has a gold star!

I also work about 60 hours a week on a volunteer job I love. Work another 15 hours a week at our gym for to offset the expense of having three All-Star cheerleaders, run errands, make sure the bills are paid on time, do laundry, try to cook on occassion and somewhere in there actually get some sleep. So does it make me special? nope.

What's up with all this competitiveness on how much we all work and how stressed we all are nowadays?

Would people simply cease to go to work without a spouse or child? no. But, oh, the martyrdom of the working parent. It's not a contest, it's not a race, even though I felt the need to spell out my typical week first. Somewhere along the way the long suffering parent has to come to the reality that it is like this for most of us. They called the 70's the "Me Decade", I really don't see it that way. That was a precursor of work-work-working to earn more and obtain more of the 80s. The semi-backlash of it we had going in the 90s, but it was actually a big-business grunge, HMO good times- and now the backlash of it all for those busting their asses these past 30 years who all want their parades.

Working moms do have it hard. Single working parents have it harder. We're all into our Zen candles, quiet corners, happy pills, ongoing therapy, 5th marriages and retreats again. It has shades of the 60's without the flower power crap. We all want our peace and piece at the same time. Earn enough to take it easy in that rustic little 5,000 sq ft house in the mountains, complete with internet, satellite radio and digital.........everything. Gotta stay connected, ya know.

So how is it folks have more stuff to make life easier, but work more? Or do we work more? Is that a real stastitic? We're playing on the internet at work- according to one survey (Jupiter Media Metrix, 2001) people spend more than 22hrs a month on the web while at work. That's almost one full day out of the full month, not factoring in weekends etc. Perhaps that includes research etc but that's a LOT of time since you're only at work (supposedly) 160 hrs a month. That's 13.7% of your work time. That was five years ago- it has to be closer to 20% easily now. One-fifth of our work time. Well, if work isn't getting done, then perhaps that extra 10 hours of "work" a week isn't really extra work, it's make up time.... hmmmm? Now I have to ponder if I am actually "working" those 60+ some hours a week. And I know I'm not...

Now I think I get why resumes' have to include a new catchphrase- Good Time Management.
Liars.

I think the competitiveness comes from wanting more, doing less and trying to put on the brave face about just how much we accomplished while squeezing Yahoo Gaming time under the radar from the Bossperson. So we're all bragging and boasting and falling behind on the work that, in all probability could have been done in 40 hrs and putting in overtime on the weekends thinking we're still suffering for The Man.

I still want my gold star...