As a kid I remember hearing a story in school about how one married woman was so pious that she never uncovered her hair. The four walls of her home never saw her hair. There also was a rav who did not marry because he felt his love for Hashem was so great that he could not love a woman as much as he loved Hashem. There were also some rabbis who had very little sleep because they were so immersed in Torah study. Rabbi Akiva's wife spent many years alone while her husband was in yeshiva. I always thought that these stories were to be inspiring but they all seemed so superhuman that I did not think that anyone was expected to emulated them. Sometimes I feel some of the chumrahs that have been imposed are unrealistic. Its like someone has listened to these stories that are meant to inspire and they made them requirements. Not everyone is capable of such stringency. One can still be frum without being superhuman. Keeping the 613 mitzvos keeps us busy enough.
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