glass ceiling?

I was scanning the news this morning when I noticed a story about Oprah featuring olympic athletes on her first show of the season. One woman in the story was quoted as saying that Oprah is more inspiring than Michael Phelps because she "shattered the glass ceiling for women." I disagree with this statement for a few reasons.

1. I've never really believed that there is an actual glass ceiling. Maybe this comes from the fact that I was raised that you can do anything you want no matter what sex you are. While my mother always told me that brave girls can do anything, I firmly believe that she would have said the exact same thing if I had been born a boy. Which leads me to my disbelief in an actual glass ceiling. We ourselves are not bound by any restrictions that others place on us. It's only you that can impose this barrier to advancement that keeps from moving forward.

2. I don't believe that Oprah is so inspiring. Maybe this is because I come from a family whose women have traditionally been on the more "hard core" side of life. As we put it, they could be plowing the field, stop to have a baby, and keep on plowing. These were women who came over the mountains in wagon trains and were the first settlers in parts of Oregon. I can't help but look to these women as more role models than a woman whose ambitions have led her to become so self-righteous.

3. Why is that Oprah is lauded while we tend in a pinch to forget those women who had to fight in their careers to even be recognized. Think about the women 100 years ago, and before, who may have been brilliant writers, scientists, teachers, mathemeticians, engineers, etc. Those women that fought for an education, fought for jobs, fought to follow their passions, and were not recognized in the slightest even though they managed to carve out their own places of success. Just because could light cigarettes with one hundred dollar bills doesn't make her shatter worthy.