Renewal 7 - When the Student Is Ready Read online

  Although the circumstances of the post-Breakdown world tend to favor a traditional male leadership, I infuse the story with strong women, and in almost every case, they are every bit as integral to success as the men. Why? Because I think it’s realistic.

  I grew up less than ten miles from the setting for this story, in the South. I’m not claiming to know how it works everywhere, but in the South, even in the year 2004, there were plenty of institutions that worked overtime to make sure that women stayed in their traditional place. I had a neighbor who would not allow his wife to come outside if he was talking to a man. I’m not sure of the logic, but it felt like she was property to me, and it was offensive.

  Not to say that there aren’t plenty of strong women in the South. There are, but there’s still a line that they have to work just a little harder to cross, which may be what triggers their strong behavior. My mother was a woman who once beat a burglar who was trying to steal her television – with a stick. He lost. Needless to say, I was raised to respect women, without ever once being taught that they are the same as men. Men and women are different. Both sides have strengths and weaknesses, and in the right circumstances, they work together to make the most of each other’s natural gifts.

  Just one of my many beliefs buried in this story.

  About the Author:

  Creative people tend to be lousy at self-promotion, and I fit the cliché almost perfectly. After many years of asking myself why I have anything to say that is worth writing, the answer can only be that I have finally, in middle age, managed to make enough mistakes to say something solid about how not to live life. If I hold up a mirror to my own life, I get a backwards reflection that may actually contain some value. More importantly, I have been fortunate enough to know many people who may have suffered, but did so with far more skill and grace than I have, and they set a solid example for a realistic method of how to live well.

  In the meantime, I live in Washington with my wonderful wife, who happens to be one of those good examples, and our five rescue dogs, who manage to encompass an entire school bus full of joyous, childlike personalities. And to add to the rapidly mounting collection of loose fur and allergens, I also share the house with two cats; one with no social boundaries, and one who is nothing but social boundaries.

  In a difficult denial of the self-promotion bit, I must suggest that you stop by my semi-neglected blog and leave me a note. That way, I’ll be able to say that not everyone who signs up is preparing a spam attack. http://www.jfperkins.com

  Thank you for reading.

  JF Perkins