Art by Marianne Monto

Originally published 30th of August 2022

I have kids. I have a day job that has nothing to do with art. I have a home that I try to keep looking like a human habitat (failing in it). I even need to sleep every now and then. Oh, how I love to sleep, though I don’t sleep nearly as much as I would want because… well, all the things I listed before.

Then there are the recreational things that I should do to keep my head in the right place and not go completely bonkers (I said completely, I know I’m already slipping to that direction). Things I enjoy, like painting, reading and company of friends. Aaaand things I’m not that fond of, like exercise.

Then I try to distribute my time between all of these. And fail, since there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in a day. So, I pat my shoulder (in an encouraging way) and tell myself that all mothers struggle with these things. Not everything can be done all at once. Just do your best (or at least try to imitate that). 

Having forgiven myself for these failings I manage to schedule time to have cup of coffee with one of my friends. And then it hits me. Her house: spotless, her kids: exists, she is wearing new cardigan she just knit, she mentions that her morning run was only 10 km that morning, as she needed to bake for school function (I don’t bake for functions, I have figured way out!), she has full time job AND side hustle. She is so accomplished that I almost burst to flames out of envy. And she is so freaking nice that I cannot even dislike her (god dammit).

So, my theory is that there are super heroes around us. They move at warp speed, so they can achieve so much more in the same time that it takes me to walk into a bathroom and wash my teeth. Or they are related to Santa Claus and can use his time bending ways. Usually these super achieving people don’t want to talk about the theory of time travel, so I suspect they have something to hide. Or it could be that they achieve things because they don’t waste time on trivial or theoretical discussions or ponderings.

Nah, I like my theory better.