This Women’s History Month is a good time to look at some of the females who made me who I am. The most influential person in my life was my mother. She taught me that a woman could play many roles. On the farm during the week, she donned pants to work and sweat beside my father. Saturday night, she put on make-up and a dress to dance with him at area halls. At times, I’ve strived to be like her and I’ve also struggled to be different. As an adult, it was a shock the first time her angry words came out of my mouth. I would have laid odds that could never happen. As I age, I have to admit I’m proud to be like her.
Two others were my cousins, Doris and Sis. For this only child, they were the closest to sisters I had. They were fourteen and twelve years older than I was, but I felt accepted as an equal. By observing them, I learned to apply nail polish and eye make-up, both things Mom didn’t bother with. I also listened closely when they talked about their dates.
In their twenties, Sis married and looked after her own family. Doris, who remained single until her forties, continued to spend time with me. When it was time for my junior prom, we boarded the train in Rockford to shop in Chicago so I would have a one-of-a-kind formal. She was my lifeline while my boyfriend was in the navy. After I became a working woman, we vacationed together. She taught me how single ladies split expenses and behave when away from home.
When I started reporting community news for the Rockford Morning Star, my editor told me all I needed was a typewriter and a 35mm camera. To fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge, Susan, my friend and the journalist for the local paper, shared her on-the-job experience with me.
Who were some of the mentors in your life?