After all, the man has been dead for almost 124 years.
But seriously, I do.
A couple of years ago I read a book called “Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and her Father.” Last night I finished reading a book that was part biography and part novel, called “The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott.” The novel’s premise was that a strong-willed passionate woman like Louisa surely must have had a romance at least once in her life, even if there is no record of it. (Apparently she burned many of her letters.)
This book was entertaining, the romance was (mostly) realistic, the ending was sad. But other than my sadness that everyone in this world doesn’t get a happily-ever-after wonderful marriage and life like I have, my overriding feeling after reading each book was one of disgust for her father.
Bronson Alcott was a man who’s brain was filled with big ideas. I get this, really I do. My brain is going 24/7. But he was so busy thinking his lofty thoughts and so unwilling to compromise any of his high intellectual values that his family suffered most of their lives. He taught school from time to time, but invariably offended the parents with his controversial methods. He was unwilling to hold a job that might “damage his soul” (which meant anything involving commerce) and his family depended largely on handouts from family and friends until Louisa achieved success as an author.
Bronson was a vegan before there were vegans. Not only was he unwilling to eat animals or animal products, he was unwilling to wear ANY. For a time he only allowed his family to wear linen, as cotton, wool, etc were produced from animal products. He wouldn’t even plant root vegetables or use a plow because it might disturb the worms!
Today I want to say a big thank you. Thank you to my wonderful husband who goes to work every days, when sometimes it feels like a mind-numbing slog. Thanks to my dad who worked harder than most human beings ever have to in order to meet our basic needs. And thanks to all of the other hard working fathers out there, who might rather sit around and talk with Emerson but instead are doing what it takes to take care of their families.
You guys are awesome.
(rant over. you may now go back to your regularly scheduled program.)
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One of my oft-repeated adages: NEVER trust a male vegetarian....let alone a vegan! Sounds like he had more compassion for worms than for his own children...interesting.
ReplyDeleteJust realized that, for a time, I was raising two male vegetarians- now I'm going to have to rethink my adage. Maybe never trust a male vegetarian over 18? 25?
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