The Book Club.

 The Book Club.

 

Years ago, Grandmother Pollard was a member of a book club in which quite a few of the older ladies were members. They were all pretty active in Clay County in one way or another, and they were also the ones who managed to help any family who had something happen—a death or a birth—and needed a bit of help. A very few times, my presence was included in their gathering. They all enjoyed the books, but they also enjoyed politics and local events. They each kept a scrapbook about the club and its activities, but they were generally very careful to include any younger women who actually had the time to read a book and come to a club meeting. Those women were few and far between simply because the cost of the books, the available time, and the seasons in a farming community meant that younger women had more to do than meet up with the “old biddies” as some of the men called them.

 

Now, some years ago, the old woman was invited to a book club and learned some interesting things. For one thing, the type of books we read were not fiction and the normal type of light reading available and prevalent. We had one that introduced the idea that the brain can actually heal itself and rewire itself as needed after some trauma. THAT was very interesting. One of the wives whose husband was a doctor had us all at her house one day when we were all introduced to using the new Keurig coffee maker. But about the strangest things we talked about outside of the books was some of the ideas running around at that time. Most of the women were ardently against any guns being on campus. My gun sat silently in its holster in my purse during this discussion. Then one discussion by some of the same women included ridicule of the brain surgeon who was interested in politics. “Flat-earther” was one of the things they called him. To me, the idea of a flat earth was not any more ridiculous than the ideas presented on campus during the philosophy classes required for a degree program. Whatever. But whatever political viewpoints that came out during our meetings, what most startled me was the lack of social propriety encouraged by women during a speech by the same political figure. Whether or not one’s views were similar, rude behavior seemed to label those who walked out of his speech during the assembly. Thinking back now, it reminds me of Nancy whatever her name is, the Democrats’ spokes-person for rudeness. Grandmother and her club ladies would have been horrified at such behavior.

 

Thinking of how ladies’ clubs have changed over the years, it makes me believe that our attitudes have definitely changed in a downward spiral. Can we no longer disagree without becoming rude and disagreeable? Do we need students to stand on the steps of the administration building and shout political and cultural slogans? In my younger days, some of the students as TWU in Denton wanted to have a demonstration against the Vietnam War. The (then young) old woman stood up and flatly refused to have anything to do with such a demonstration since my brother and many of my classmates were over there serving in the military. My opinion was respectfully presented, but whatever words were used that day, the idea quickly dissolved and the “demonstration” never took place. Now we have terrorists killing Jews and expecting others to agree with their point of view. How horrible can our world become? Young women can be attacked and injured seriously because they “look like a lesbian.” Someone needs to teach parents to improve their viewpoint in life so that others can live their lives without being threatened for being different. May God give us forgiveness and help us to show more love and kindness to others!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.