The Eternally Ambitious Woman

Ophelia! Ma Pauvre! Listen just bouncing back on your email from last night I wanted to extend an invitation to you to come back to NY...why...well... Should you really, sincerely, oh so truly wish to meet a real, veritable, 100%, Interchangeable Woman...please please my dear friend come back to NY!

NY, I believe is the nesting ground for these women...I am serious, the description given in your last email O. is so true for so many women inhabiting the fair island of Manhattan.

MBAs, gym memberships, big mouths yapping a lot of talk about "me this" and "me that," huge Rolodex of so-called friends (or shall we say simple acquaintances...), blackberry managed schedules, and a blackberry typing manicured fingertips is quite a valid description for both these Interchangeable Women and many women of NY.

Now look, I'm not going to bash on NY, or its women - in fact I LOVE NY! It's my unofficial hometown, and going by the 10 year rule, I actually am technically a real Big Apple woman...that said, I do have something to say about some of the women of this city.

So many of them are not only Interchangeable Women...but the world's most Ambitiously Ambitious Women.

In a city of like NY, it's true that one gets incredibly caught up in work, in money, in money again and again...It's a city that never sleeps, and for these AAWomen (meaning Ambitiously Ambitious...haha but perhaps they will need a lil AA later on...) life really is all about work and money.

Most of them spend their lives with these two elements in mind. They fight through high school to get into the ivy league that will then get them the summer internship on Wall Street or on 5th Ave that will then get them the job that will then lead them to an MBA that will finally lead them to a whole other process until they are well into their 30s...even 40s...Their life is dictated by work, more work, money, more money with the bonus...and when they have time, the gym, after work drinks at some fancy "in" bar, the all important manicure once a week between 2 meetings etc...

As you can tell, these women live for work - they don't live for themselves...They are the opposite of me - an Eternal Intern. They have values I just don't understand. And, although we have similar degrees, the same level of education and each, a real drive to work...we do remain remarkably different.

Family, children, husbands, cats and dogs are so low on their list of priorities, and unfortunately most of them clue into how important family life is, well into their 30-40s...Central Park playgrounds are full proof - either through the gray haired mothers nursing their babies or the Hispanic nannies carrying for 3/4s of the children present...

In NY, women's priorities are clearly different...I know I've gone a little off tangent chicas...but writing about the Interchangeable Woman spurred my desire to express my anguish for these women! I so often feel as though they are remote controlled barbie dolls moving step by step towards pre-determined goals, in ultra (to the extreme) J Crew attire and white pearl earrings...

I'm so sorry, but there...it's off my chest...

I must run! But bisous les filles with a more positive update soon!! lol!!

Flora xoxo