The Lie of Independence Ugh… here we go again. Yes, I’m ranting. This “working life” feels like a prison sentence I never agreed to serve.. I never wanted to be an “independent woman.” Who sold us this dream? Who decided my worth is measured by how many bills I can pay alone, how many battles I can fight without help? They told us be strong, but forgot to mention it means being exhausted 24/7, eating dinner at midnight, and crying quietly in the shower so nobody calls you “weak.” Independence is glamorized until you’re sick on your own couch with nobody to bring you water. Until you realize you’ve been tricked into carrying a man’s load and a woman’s load and applauding yourself for surviving it. I love strength, but not this strength the kind that leaves you too tired to live…. -Aniqa