Q is for Questions.
When I finished reading the Little House books the first time through (and the second and third etc.), I had questions. Well, one big question: What happened next?
I soon discovered The First Four Years, which apparently was not a part of my elementary school library's collection, then I found On The Way Home. They answered some of my questions. In the early 70's, there just wasn't a lot easily accessible of information out there. I remember once when I was doing a school report on Laura Ingalls Wilder, I visited our public library to look through the encyclopedias. I found one short article and a small photo of an older Laura. That only fueled my curiosity!
Through the years, I got busy. We moved and I had horses and they took over my life for a while. Then I became a young mother and motherhood consumed me for the next 25+ years as I devoted myself to parenting and volunteering as my daughter and son grew up. Oh sure, I read the Little House books to my children and would re-read them myself yearly. I even remember seeing a little blurb in the paper that a man named William Anderson was going to be at our local museum to talk about Laura Ingalls Wilder. Well, that caught my eye! I had already discovered the books that he had written, so off my daughter and I went to see him. What a highlight!
For the most part though, I learned what I could, when I could, and left it at that.
And then came the internet. I started searching for what I could find about Laura. As my parenting duties became less demanding, I spent more time getting some of the answers to those questions. I met other people who knew the answers to those questions. And they became my friends. And I was able to finally meet those friends in person in 2010 at the first ever Laura Ingalls Wilder conference of its kind called LauraPalooza.
I thank these many friends who did all of the research that I wish I could have done. They have certainly answered so many of my questions. But there is more to learn and I intend to learn it! I can't wait till this summer's LauraPalooza!
There are still so many "Laura questions" with no answers. What is the one Laura Ingalls Wilder-related question that you wish you knew the answer to?
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| If you are reading this, you may understand the emotions I felt as I was standing on those steps. Rocky Ridge Farmhouse - Mansfield, Missouri |
I truly love your passion!
ReplyDeleteHooray for the internet! I love all that I have been able to learn online. Not to mention being able to "meet" kindred spirits like you!
ReplyDeleteAs far as LIW questions, I have them, of course, but more than anything I would just like to have known her as a person. The fact that she was always so eager to learn new things (wouldn't she have loved the internet!) gives good evidence that she was a very knowledgeable and interesting person, and I have a feeling she would not have been shy about sharing her opinions.
I have to say, I have always loved "The Little House on the Prairie" books, and I've been fascinated since I was a young girl by that period in our history, but you have ignited more curiosity in them thank I thought I was still capable of. I'm going to have to start reading them again soon.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how much we can learn online now? I've almost come to take it for granted, until I remember the days of just looking in encyclopedias. It's so wonderful that we can make connections in addition to getting our questions answered. :)
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed the A to Z Challenge focused on Laura..it has been along time since I read them. I read them to my girls when they were little:)
ReplyDeleteNow that someone actually asks me that question, I can't think of one. LOL Isn't that always the way it goes?!
ReplyDeleteWhat an enjoyable post. Thank you for this enlightening article. I'm just A to Z-ing it. Have a great weekend and stop on by sometime to say hi.
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