sons, grandsons and a feminist perceptive on achievement

sons, grandsons and a feminist perspective on achievement

fiction
edward w pritchard

Once I sat with my two oldest sons on the banks of the Mississippi river high above the town of Hannibal, Missouri where the author Mark Twain sat as a boy circa 1845 and watched the waters of that mighty river flow off into the future. Sitting there watching the magnificent river flow I thought how hurriedly time flowed away and worried a bit about what would become of my two beautiful oldest sons then both less than ten years old sitting quietly with me very much at peace and was saddened by the thought that one of the realities of passing time was soon every boy and their memory is faced with the eventuality that boys grow old and are gone into silent obscurity. So to author Mark Twain, his fictional creation "Tom Sawyer" who no one reads anymore, my Father who played Tom Sawyer and once kissed his schools " Becky"character as lead in the class play of "Tom Sawyer" at Morgantown high school, myself who played as a real boy over canals, lakes and rivers, me  play acting alone the roles of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn as a boy and now as myself who tries to help my only grandson create the same 1840's over hills and rivers American experiences as a boy of less than two years old. In my small way I give my grandson some time to be outside as a boy.

Intellectually I have been perplexed in my readings and studies on why no woman painters or philosophers jumps to mind among avid learners or the general public when the general subject of women of achievement historically is discussed. It's more than just men writing the historical record, or lack of opportunity for women; Paintings and philosophical writings among women of genius in those fields throughout history often seem a side line only. Perhaps when a female is ten years old contemplating a flowing river they have a different biological spin on the mysterious angst of the realities of passing time because of their unique ability to actually create life, in fact, in finality. Perhaps that is all there is to our brief existence.  Creating and passing on life being our only immortality.

I have never understood the biological side of women well enough to understand the feminine perspective on achievement and our biological destiny as people. Hopefully I will do better with the brief time I will have with my second grand daughter who I am soon to meet.