Posted on Monday, May 5, 2003

IN SEARCH OF THE NEW BREED OF SUPERWOMAN
By Lisa Crawford Watson (Special to The Herald)

Back in the day when a women was without a vote on how her life should proceed, she was also without the dilemma of choice except, perhaps whether meat loaf really had to follow Sunday night's pot roast.

Today's woman does have a vote and with it comes the responsibility and the dilemma of making the right choices for her life.

Should she work outside the home? Should she marry? Should she have children? Should she try to do it all, and should she try to fit in fitness, fashion, travel and leisure while she's at it? Certainly many have tried.

Anita Borg was torn. A Joan of Arc of sorts at the front lines of the male-dominated battlefield known as the Silicon Valley, the president of the Institute for Women and Technology had reached a personal standoff. Equally fueled and exhausted by the pace she'd been keeping for the past three years, her mind was telling her to charge forth, while her body was asking for a retreat.

Unable to call the decision, her body made it for her. Within a matter of days, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, operated on and rendered unable to speak.

One year later, rested, restored and supported by family and friends, she returned to the front to tell others about what happens when you cross the line and how important it is never to lose balance.

Superwoman did not die at the Battle of the Board Room that day, she simply changed her mind.

Karin Strasser Kauffman and Peggy Downes Baskin, two placeholders of power on the Monterey Peninsula, have heard the story of Superwoman and even believe they have met her. But they don't buy it. Don't accept that women can be all things or, perhaps, that they even want to. At least, not all at once. Superman can't, so why should she?

Because she can. But not forever. Not even for a while. And the good news is, it's no longer expected of her. That was the previous generation who, legitimately, had something to prove.

To prove their point, Strasser Kauffman, who taught political science and women's studies for more than 20 years before serving two terms as Monterey County Supervisor, and Downes Baskin, who co-authored "The New Older Woman," has more letters behind her name than a URL and has taught politics and women's studies for more than 30 years, set out in search of what lies "Beyond Superwoman."

The result is a 200-page book of the same name (Carmel Publishing Company), which entertains like a novel and guides like a text by inviting 25 top female CEOs into our homes to show us how we can bake a cake, market a cake, serve a cake or eat a cake--but not all at once.

"As a professor of women's studies at UC Santa Cruz," said Downes Baskin, "no matter where the course starts out or what it's called, we always end up talking about women wanting a professional life and a family and a personal relationship.

"There's tremendous power in being able to pass along our lessons to the next generation so they don't try to reinvent the wheel, but I couldn't find enough role models who are balancing their professional and personal lives, particularly among women at the top in fields still dominated by men.

"My mother tried to do everything. She was Superwoman, but it broke her. There was always something out of balance. After discussing it with Karin, three years ago, when the Silicon Valley was still riding the wave, we decided to head what we call the toughest male-dominated bastion and see what we could learn."

Before they ever ventured into the trenches up north, the two set up an advisory group of 15 powerful women, each at the top of her field around the Monterey Bay, to discuss their careers and their families, to talk about turning points and major decisions, and to hear what advice they had for their daughters and granddaughters.

"The Monterey Bay women were interesting," said Downes Baskin. "Without them, we couldn't have gone any further. Their story alone would have been intriguing. We met four times for three-hour talks and then interviewed each one, personally. Many felt they had tried to be Superwoman, and most were curious about the Silicon Valley women."

It was the "Dream Team" of Monterey Bay who encouraged the authors to venture into the Silicon Valley, who told them if a woman could make it there, she could make it anywhere. It was the local team who helped them develop their premise and create the questionnaire they would take with them to help find out how to have both a career and a life, and how to find satisfaction in both.

Strasser Kauffmann and Downes Baskin interviewed Senior Vice President of Cisco Systems Barbara Beck and CEO of Pacific Plastics & Engineering Stephanie Harkness. They met with the former Mayor of San Jose Susan Hammer and President of DeAnza College Martha Kanter. They met with President of E*Trade Kathy Levinson and Vice President of Hewlett-Packard Ann Livermore. And nearly 20 others who are the authors consider a "new breed" of super women.

"The new breed," said Strasser Kauffman, "told us that we must concentrate on one thing at a time and let the rest go, knowing we are making a sacrifice, a trade off. They taught us that once we have made a decision, to throw ourselves, wholeheartedly into it. And then, as the years go by, to reconsider our position and be willing to make changes, do things differently over the course of our lives. They call it "sequencing," doing lots of things in life that are exciting or interesting to us, but not all at once."

"Beyond Superwoman" isn't about every woman, but it is for every woman who has ever had more ideas about what her life might hold than there are hours in her day.

Source: MontereyHerald.com

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