Inside an Icon

I’m continuing to stretch the range of books I’m bringing to you—this one is not only an adult book, it’s not even remotely for the “young at heart.” But it touched me in a personal way, so here it is—a view inside an icon.

Who do you admire? How do you like to learn about people you look up to? I enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies. When they are well written, they sometimes read like fiction! Today’s book recommendation, My Life on the Road, by Gloria Steinem, is a good example.

My Life on the Road CoverMs. Steinem is someone in the “admired” category for me. I knew of her as a feminist icon, but not much beyond that. But after reading My Life on the Road, I came away feeling as if I had met—not an icon, but a flesh and blood person—someone I’d be honored to call my friend.

Here’s a quote from the book that encapsulates its heart:

“When people ask me why I still have hope and energy after all these years, I always say: Because I travel. Taking to the road—by which I mean letting the road take you—changed who I thought I was. The road is messy in the way that real life is messy. It leads us out of denial and into reality, out of theory and into practice, out of caution and into action, out of statistics and into stories—in short, out of our heads and into our hearts.”

Some of what moved me deeply: her account of her itinerant childhood (I thought my family moved a lot—it was nothing compared to Ms. Steinem!), her compassionate account of polar opposite parents, the stories of her early travels in India, and accounts of deep friendships with other women—especially that with Wilma Mankiller, chief of the Cherokee people. It was startling to learn Ms. Steinem always had a fear of public speaking, and did it anyway.

If I could sit down with Gloria and share a few words with her, I would tell her how much I admire her listening skill. While she didn’t like conflict, she learned to sit in the face of it and listen—often turning heat into something more vulnerable. That’s something I truly admire.

If you’re interested in learning about Gloria and a fair chunk about the feminist movement she and her peers spearheaded, head to your library and put My Life on the Road on hold!

Happy Reading!

 

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