For one reason and another, I've been thinking a lot about "pioneer women" lately. First it was seeing the movie True Grit. Then it was reading Half Broke Horses. And, now that I'm trying to dredge up memories of my days as a newlywed in Indonesia, it's all sorta swirling around together in my head. Mostly I've been thinking
about the kind of wife most men think they want, and about what happens when they actually get what they asked for.
For as long as I can remember, I have adored books about adventurous women. Not just American pioneer women, but all kinds and nationalities. Years ago I saw a great series on PBS called The Flame Trees of Thika, starring Hayley Mills, and later I read the book, which was by Elspeth Huxley. It was about one of those British "younger sons" who had no hope of inheriting anything, so he packs up his little family and takes off for Africa, thinking it will be a piece of cake to amass a fortune of his own down there. Fortunately for him and his children, his wife had a bit of grit, some common sense, and they managed to build a pretty good life there -- despite the many hardships, and the fact that they had no clue what they were getting into. Other men, who had chosen women of a more...ornamental nature, shall we say? Well, they didn't fare quite so well.
I've always known John and I were both pretty darn smart. First of all, I was smart enough to send him off on his first big adventure with my good graces, and no commitments. Then he was smart enough to realize, within a few short months, that the adventure would be even better if he had someone special there beside him. What made him absolutely brilliant was the little test he devised for me, after watching a good friend's life fall apart when he tried to bring one of those ornamental wives over, to see if I had what it takes -- to see if I had true grit.
P.S. Many thanks to sabob.com for the Flame Trees image, and to digitaltrends.com for the image from True Grit.
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5 comments:
Oooooo, a cliffhanger! What was the test? How long did it take? Was it in Tx or Indonesia? Did you know you were being tested? Did you cry? Did it hurt? Did it involve wild animals or walking around in the dark?? (gulping for breath....)
Are you gonna tell us more? (plaintively)....Or save it for the book?
I love this post. It is something that I think about as well and why I love historical fiction. I am so intrigued about how people lived in the past and how that relates to how people live now. Although circumstance vary widely, I feel that at heart there is not really that big a difference. Losing a years crop vs. losing a well paying job in a down economy. They both show you what you of what you are made.
ME: That's a subject I've been mulling over for a couple of days now. At the writing conference I went to last year, they said publishers had discovered that books by bloggers didn't really sell, if they contained stuff that people had already seen. So, if I want an actual published book, I have to keep it all a secret. But do I really want one? Would it be more satisfying to say I'm a "published author", even if it might take years to see the light of day, or would I be happier sharing it with you all as it unfolds, and getting immediate feedback? Tough decision!
GirlPowers: That's why I'm so interested in books that take place during the depression all of a sudden. I think we can pick up a lot of tips that will help us deal with the economy and with dwindling resources.
How about a best of both worlds?
Keep this blog going for all of us inspired by your posts on Seasonality, current daily happenings, making art as we find it, gardening, local critters, weather and climate, food, and of course, your pics.
Start another blog that's password protected and only allow access to Paula, hubby, siblings and other international friends who can read your entries about "newlywed adventures traveling the world" and provide feedback, questions and additional memories to spark your storytelling.
Worth considering? Build-a-book-thru-a-private-blog method!
(I've considered writing a memoir that way, I have to confess.) ;-)
ME: Brilliant!
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