Herstory. What's her story? What's yours? What's mine? This issue we have welcomed readers/writers/contributors to tell us their stories, lend us a slice of their perspectives, of their particular experiences in their particular lives.
My life is filled with people, work, things to do, work, and people. In short, it's nuts some days. I do a lot in my own life and for other people. I won't be modest there. And I like to do it. I like my work. I like my friends and family. Without them, what the hell is there? But sometimes I wonder if those around me truly understand what my life is like every day, how much it takes to hold up my piece of the world. I don't want to be pitied or helped more -- no! But I want the people in my life to have some idea about how very hard I work so the next time someone wants to complain about me taking 3 months to review their submission or my not being available for coffee when they stop by they might understand, might say, hey, how are you holding up, woman?! And that means I need to speak up. I need to share my story.
I think a lot of women feel this way. Living in this insane culture full of kids' soccer games and rising housing costs and commercialism and television and double-duty and household responsibilities and work (let's not forget we might want to shower or wipe our own arses every once in a while!) is a lot of work. I think a lot of women want to scream, hellooo, what about me? And because we are so wrapped up in keeping up with our own lives, we can become disconnected from each other. We can feel isolated, underappreciated, misunderstood. A lot of women get to the end of the day wondering who the hell cut the brakes on the runaway train they call their lives!
My story is long and crazy, but it's a good one. It's adventurous and fast-paced, but never boring, and certainly not tragic! I think that it's not our desire as individual women to bitch and complain about how hard we have it or even to want it any other way, but to be acknowledged for what we do and have someone say, how are you holding up? Because nowadays women are doing a lot.
My solution? I'm moving into the country. My family and I are slicing out a little piece of heaven where we can unplug from the buzz of civilization, where we can go on our own private adventure. Maybe I'll become some crazed herb lady (some might have labelled a witch in another day and age) who makes her own lotions and medicinal remedies and doesn't use a microwave (OK, I already do this!). My story will end set on this little piece of land with an afterword that says: she did a lot, but loved every minute of it -- sometimes slow and sometimes wicked-fast, it was a hell of a ride!
or more simply: she wouldn't have had it any other way.
So, dig into the stories presented in our Herstory issue. Find out more about your fellow women, their stories, and how they're holding up. Because isn't that all we want here, to be heard, to be able to tell our stories and have someone simply say, I hear you, woman. I hear you loud and clear.
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