I am reading a very interesting book by one of my favorite people in the whole world. I met her in Boston when we attended the same congregation. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is an inspiring woman. I have often thought that she is what I would want to be “when I grow up”. Knowing Laurel and learning how wonderful she is inspired me to read some of the work she has published.
Laurel wrote “Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History” in response to one of her quote that has seemed to take on a life of its own. In the book, she explores how and why women have made history. It is a fascinating read in which I am learning new connections in history and thinking about history in a different way. I have explored in my own mind what it means “to make history”. Is making history being a celebrity in your own day? Is making history being remembered? I am not sure the answer to those and many other questions right now (and I am only half way through the book!) Perhaps, the most striking influence the book has had on my life has been personal. I have thought a lot lately about my part in history and how I will or won’t make history. Honestly, I am and will always be “well-behaved” so I am part of the group that “seldom make[s] history”. I think, after reading a portion of the book, that my life embodies different quotes by Laurel more than the title quote. Perhaps this is more appropriate, “The drama is in the humdrum” or “The meaning was in the doing” or maybe “She did it because it had to be done”. Still, I am drawn to the title quote. I wonder how I can “make history” living the quiet and uneventful life that I do. I think the answer is given by Laurel herself. She said in the introduction, “This book is my gift to all of those who continue to make history – through action, through record-keeping, and through remembering.” In my own way, I can make history by doing something because it has to be done. I simply need to record it and remember it.
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