Earlier today, I was asking what good will come out of something bad? I, myself,..can't really see why the bad has to be in the first place, but since evil is a part of life,..I can only also accept the fact that all of the wrong doings in the world are a part of life too!
When I saw the marks on the arms of my "deaf inventor" friend,...left by his former "teacher,"...however,....I went through the experience that I usually have of ANGRILY...accepting that part of life. I can do nothing for the man unless he choses..to speak out for himself. I have gotten in trouble in the past for speaking up about things,..and then,..the very people, whom I thought that I was helping by speaking out for them,..would deny what they had told me!! That is what got me started with tape recording certain situations, and even that has its' pitfalls!! Nuff said on that!!
So, tomorrow is a travel day. Rosezelle and I spend the day on the road and then,.tomorrow night "in committee!" On Thursday I give a short "spiel" to the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities about the book and its' progress. Then,..there is the "Keynote" presentation to the Social Work Educators at Wright State University. In the meantime,..we will be traveling back and forth between Dayton, Ohio and Richmond, Indiana. I have no doubt that we will meet up with the usual people and answer the usual unanswerable questions!!
In May,..we may also have another speaking engagement at the University of Akron, but that one is rather "iffy!" Then,..we change directions and intellectual modes and talk to about two hundred sixth graders. I don't have the schedule beyond that yet, but I am sure that something will pop up!!
Sunday night, Roselle and I had dinner with two people, who could only be described as "fans!" I think that that is what one could call them! They must really be nice people in their regular mode! As "fans,"...I don't think that I could take much of them.
The man and woman had offered to buy Rosezelle and I dinner so that they could say that they had talked to the author of the WALKING FREE book and "the real LIVE Emily"..of the book! Their Sunday School class has been studying Nellie's story as a part of their "Christian Missions!"
"Do you see angels on Sunday mornings?' the lady asked me right off. How does a person answer a question like that with a straight face?
"Well," I sort of felt my way along, "I don't see angels on Sunday mornings, but I have been known to watch an Assassin on....Friday nights!"
Yep! I really said it!! Rosezelle practically squashed all of the toes on my right foot. Damn her high heels!
Before dinner was over,..I was ready to climb under the table and Rosezelle was kicking me in the shin to remind me to not start joking around. Needless to say,..my right leg is very sore today!!
My throat was very tired and I was having a very hard time controling my voice. The man asked me if I was Irish or something because I kept "talking through my nose!!" I pushed the air in my mouth to the back of my throat and projected my voice as I do when I do my public readings!! The lady put her fingers in her ears and the man jumped at least six inches out of the Friendly's booth that we were sitting in. Rosezelle very stridently suggested to me that I continue to "use the Irish sounding voice"..if that was all that I could make come out of my mouth!! Things like that happen when one cannot control one's throat muscles!!
I almost ordered a beer. Another kick from Rosezelle, and I settled for a diet coke. One does not sell books to conservative customers by challenging their religious beliefs!! The Two got their books and we signed their books, but I do believe that I have cured two more folks of their "illusion" of my "sainthood!"
I don't enjoy public speaking all that much, but as the old saying goes,.."Necessity is what makes the mule plow!" If we want to sell this book and other books,..we have to get out and talk about them! Even with the good reviews that the local papers have given..WALKING FREE: THE NELLIE ZIMMERMAN STORY,...as a group of people, who have not just a book to sell, but a point to make,..we have to keep on "plugging!"
Naming no names, there are some folks in this world, who say that I do not "know my Place." I have a general idea as to what they are talking about and the place, that they think that I shoudl be!! How wrong those folks are!! I will not live the lie of.."Shut up and Put Up With!"