Did you know?

Do you remember as you were growing up hearing about a person named Nellie Bly?  Do you know who or what she was?  Maybe you never heard of her but, I did.  I read something about her this morning that I don’t remember knowing.  Does that ever happen to you?  It happens to me a lot. She was born in 1864 and died in 1922.  That makes her only 57 years old.  She was a journalist, which was unusual for that period, who had a fascination with Jules Verne and lots of other things.  She wanted to beat his record of going “Around The World In 80 Days” so, she asked her editor if she could have the assignment.  At first he said no because she was a girl, sound familiar, but later changed his mind. She made the journey in 72 days traveling by steamboat, railroad, sampan, rickshaw, horseback and other modes.

Another thing she did that was courageous was that she faked insanity in order to get inside a mental institution to study it.  I don’t know if that is where the movie “The  Pit” came from or not.  This is what is called passion.  She was willing to do anything to get information and write about something that she felt strongly about.  Thank goodness there are people who have this kind of drive and devotion.  These are the people who are the shakers and doers.  Without them we would not have the things we have.

When I got up this morning I had no intention of giving you a history lesson but, regardless of what students today think, it is not a boring subject.  They may have a boring teacher but, the subject is fascinating.

Remember:  There are two days about which nobody should every worry, and these are yesterday and tomorrow.  So with only today to cope with, the burden becomes lighter, for nobody ever stumbled under the burden of today.  It is only when they add yesterday and tomorrows to the load they are carrying, that it becomes unbearable.  Helen Steiner Rice.  Melanie