UNTAMED

 

     Author Glennon Doyle shows us how to be "Untamed."  Wild creatures know how to take care of themselves, but people will put them in cages and try to tame them.  Humans often try to tame each other which distracts them from living the way nature intended.  Doyle states that "our culture was built upon and benefits from the control of women."  She continues that "when the world told me that a real girl is small, quiet, pretty, accommodating, and pleasant, I believed that this was the Truth.  I breathed in those lies, and they made me sick."  She tells girls that "you get to be everything: loud quiet bold smart careful impulsive creative joyful big angry curious ravenous ambitious."

     "Our men are caged, too.  The parts of themselves they must hide to fit into those cages are the slices of their humanity our culture has labeled 'feminine' - traits like mercy, tenderness, softness, quietness, kindness, humility, uncertainty, empathy, connection."  "The problem is that the parts of themselves that our boys have been banished from are not feminine traits; they are human traits."

     Doyle discusses sexism and racism. "Maybe we'll admit that liberty and justice for all has always meant liberty for white straight wealthy men.  Then maybe we'll gather the entire family at the table - the women and the gay and black and brown folks and those in power."

     "Often our beliefs are programmed into us without our knowledge by our culture, community, religion, and family."  "There is nothing more important than unearthing  what we really believe to be true about ourselves and the world."  Glennon Doyle explains how she freed herself from the cages holding her back from her truth and thus shows us how to free ourselves.  Whether or not you believe that God has something to do with finding Knowledge, Doyle leads us toward a more meaningful life. 

     

The Giver of Stars

                                                 

     "The Works Progress Administration's Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky program ran from 1935 to 1943.  At its height it brought books to more than a hundred thousand rural inhabitants."  Author Jojo Moyes writes this novel based on a true story of a small group of women who served in a small town and its surrounding rural area.  They were "The Giver of Stars." A sampler in their small library said "To Seek Knowledge Is To Expand Your Own Universe."  The books they provided taught children and adults how to read and enjoy "the diversion and hope that a good story could bring."  They read about how to improve their daily lives and received a view of other worlds and other times.

     Margery, Alice, Beth, Isabelle, Kathleen, and Sophia were the librarians in their small Kentucky town.  The people who lived in the surrounding rural area looked forward to each women arriving on horseback with bags of books from the library.  The librarians lives were also enriched as they learned about each family on their routes.  

       

WOKE

     Today you woke up, opened your eyes, and started a new day.  You live in the USA which aims to provide liberty and justice for all.

      Now, we need to wake up and realize that men and women, straight and LGBTQ, and every race needs to have equal justice, to be treated fairly by the community, the workplace, and the government and its representatives.  We need to open our eyes, become aware, extend our sympathy to those not treated fairly, and gain empathy for everyone, especially those that are different than we are. 

     Wake up.  See the world and all its people.  Start a new day.  Make it better than yesterday for everyone.

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Karl

   

     A good man, husband, father, and grandfather.  Karl's German/Swedish family was Lutheran for many generations.  He learned responsibility from a young age and continued to take charge of his own life.

     As a young teenager, he worked at a grocery store saving his money so he could go to college.   Although he was interested in sports, this job kept him from participating on school teams.  During his years at Indiana University, he worked on construction in the summers with his grandfather.  Unfortunately, he injured his hand on the job which disqualified him from military service.

     At college, he worked as a dishwasher to pay for the cost of his fraternity, where he enjoyed lots of parties with his college sweetheart.  They married after graduation, and in a few years had three daughters who went on to graduate from LSU.  He was so proud of his girls, and when they married, they gave him seven grandchildren.
     During his professional career, he was first in the corporate world then went into business for himself as an advisor to small businesses.  He learned to play golf which became his favorite pastime.  Every Sunday, he took his family to Lutheran Church.  His great-grandfather had been a Lutheran pastor.  We had many happy years together, and on our 55th Wedding Anniversary, July 20, he took his final breath.

Hard to Let Go

     If you are male, what would be hard to let go?  Historically having more rights, privileges, and power than females, given toys that stimulate math and science interests, being encouraged to develop talents and careers and go out into the world, free from monthly cycles, being able to have children without being pregnant, having females take the primary responsibilities caring for offspring and the household which allows males more freedom to pursue a career without interruption, having your family name as your children's last name, more likely to become high ranking political officials or CEOs, making more money.  

     If you are white, what would be hard to let go? Historically having more rights, privileges, and power  than non-whites, having a skin tone that isn't seen as being a member of "another" group, being in the majority group, having no ancestors who were enslaved, receiving proper treatment and justice, less likely to go to prison. 

     The white male is finding it very hard to let go of their position.  They are used to being treated better, being paid more, and having higher positions of power.  This power, however, is a result of the female and non-white populations having less power and lower status in society. Females and non-white races must continually struggle to obtain equality and justice. 

David

                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                    

     

     Born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, David married his high school sweetheart.  He worked hard and provided a good life for his wife and child.

     

     Outdoors was his favorite place.  He and his dad would go fishing in a stocked gravel pit fed by a little creek in the back acres of the farm.  That night his mom would fry up the blue gills for supper.  The father and son would also go hunting in the woods and bring back rabbits and squirrels.

      

     Everyplace he lived, he always planted a big garden of sweet corn, tomatoes, green beans, and strawberries.  He would put on a pot of water to boil, then pick and shuck the corn and cook right away.  When the crops were very plentiful, he canned those vegetables for use in the winter months.  With such a sweet and loving nature, he shared whatever he had.

     

     Besides providing food for his family and friends, he was always ready to give his time and a helping hand to many life-long friends.  His parents called him David, his wife Dave, his co-workers Brownie, and later in life his grandchildren called him Grandpa. I called him Dad.  

      

Virginia

     

                                                   

     Most women of her generation were what we now call stay-at-home moms.  Virginia followed this pattern until her child was old enough to be safe at home for a few hours after school.   She then started to work outside the home.

     As a young woman, she lived with her widowed mother.  They lived a modest life, and a few years later she married her high school sweetheart.  They had a child and remained a happy family of three.  She kept a ledger of the family finances, bought Savings Bonds, and set aside money in a bank savings account.

     In a few years, they built their dream house and added beautiful furnishings.  She appreciated this higher standard of living and made sure everything was well cared for, neat and clean - a place for everything and everything in its place.

     When their child was thirteen, she obtained employment at the local bank as secretary to the president.  By living within their means and saving their money, she and her husband were able to provide a college education for their daughter.

     They became life-long friends to another couple.  When the man went off to war, they were loyal friends to his wife and baby girl.  The couples remained close friends, having fun together.

     Virginia took loving care of her home and family and was a loyal friend her entire life.

     I love you, Mom.