In reading this book, I realize I had early in life analyzed and learned whose word I could trust, how to observe bad behavior's consequences and decide not to copy other's behaviors, and that most news should be avoided.
Examples: (that you may already know)
When I was about 8 years old, Blanche told me that when I was little (I remember my life from four years old so it might have been earlier than that) she would decide a small amount of whiskey, probably moonshine, would help me settle down when I was not feeling well and help me go to sleep. She would put some in a teaspoon and I would clamp my teeth together and refuse to let the spoon enter my mouth. I feel certain I could see the connection between adult drinking and bad behavior and wasn't about to have such a fluid enter my mouth. When drinking, the adults were rowdy, argumentative, and even fought. Blanche and another woman had a physical fight when I was four and all of the children present were traumatized by that. Blanche didn't speek to that woman for 10 years. That was all about alcohol, infidelity and, jealousy. Later I decided I wouldn't have sex nor ever expect a man to be faithful in marriage. I swore off all jealousy.
At about age 8, I learned not to believe everything ministers said, especially after going nightly to church for a week for a revival. The fire and brimstone guest preacher talk about the end of the world by fire. He said it could happen any day. I began visualizing the fire coming across the Scioto River between Nauvoo, a country village where we lived, and Portsmouth and prayed often and fervently that I could reach Blanche in time to die in her arms. After a while, I decided the fire probably wasn't going to come and dismissed the preacher's fear mongering. Another of those preachers had a line in his sermons that he liked so well he repeated it, "When we were born, our mothers' feet touched the icy waters of death."
I certainly hadn't heard such a thing from all the women's talk I had heard about birth stories and just dismissed that kind of talk from a man as ludicrous.
I read voraciously from the time I learned how and got a much better education than I did from observing adults.
When I became old enough to start reading the news, I saw simple repetition day after day. I knew people killed people and didn't feel it important to get the names of the people involved in each killing that happened. That was true of many other issues. Some news was important and I did keep up with what was happening, mostly by watching the news at the movies I went to on weekends. I agreed immediately about comments about the media when reading "Factfulness,"
Now, as you undoubtedly know, I read online The Monitor and don't get the drama the media thrives on.
I'm more than halfway through the book and plan to read it all.
Mom
Examples: (that you may already know)
When I was about 8 years old, Blanche told me that when I was little (I remember my life from four years old so it might have been earlier than that) she would decide a small amount of whiskey, probably moonshine, would help me settle down when I was not feeling well and help me go to sleep. She would put some in a teaspoon and I would clamp my teeth together and refuse to let the spoon enter my mouth. I feel certain I could see the connection between adult drinking and bad behavior and wasn't about to have such a fluid enter my mouth. When drinking, the adults were rowdy, argumentative, and even fought. Blanche and another woman had a physical fight when I was four and all of the children present were traumatized by that. Blanche didn't speek to that woman for 10 years. That was all about alcohol, infidelity and, jealousy. Later I decided I wouldn't have sex nor ever expect a man to be faithful in marriage. I swore off all jealousy.
At about age 8, I learned not to believe everything ministers said, especially after going nightly to church for a week for a revival. The fire and brimstone guest preacher talk about the end of the world by fire. He said it could happen any day. I began visualizing the fire coming across the Scioto River between Nauvoo, a country village where we lived, and Portsmouth and prayed often and fervently that I could reach Blanche in time to die in her arms. After a while, I decided the fire probably wasn't going to come and dismissed the preacher's fear mongering. Another of those preachers had a line in his sermons that he liked so well he repeated it, "When we were born, our mothers' feet touched the icy waters of death."
I certainly hadn't heard such a thing from all the women's talk I had heard about birth stories and just dismissed that kind of talk from a man as ludicrous.
I read voraciously from the time I learned how and got a much better education than I did from observing adults.
When I became old enough to start reading the news, I saw simple repetition day after day. I knew people killed people and didn't feel it important to get the names of the people involved in each killing that happened. That was true of many other issues. Some news was important and I did keep up with what was happening, mostly by watching the news at the movies I went to on weekends. I agreed immediately about comments about the media when reading "Factfulness,"
Now, as you undoubtedly know, I read online The Monitor and don't get the drama the media thrives on.
I'm more than halfway through the book and plan to read it all.
Mom
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