Wanderlust

My wandering began when I began walking. I grew up on my grandmother's farm, a huge dairy farm, until I began school and then I spent summers and school vacations there.

I am told I was always barefoot and all I did is wander...alone! Can you imagine? One story is that when I was three or maybe four, a neighbor came across me walking on Rte 129 in Loudon. I was a good 2 miles from home! She stopped to see what I was up to and I told her "I'm going to Conca (translated-Concord) to see my mother." Because I had the two farm dogs with me and she wasn't sure how they would react, she pulled me into the vehicle through the window. And so my wandering began.

Always curious I would wander all over the farm. Acres and acres of land and forest and I never got lost, although I did lose my shoes once. I would even walk down to the pond which was a good mile away and row myself across it to the sandy beach on the other side. Cats and dogs followed me. I couldn't have been more than 8 when I started doing this. I'm amazed at my bravery! If only we carried that bravery and determined attitude into adulthood. Every woman should go back and peruse their childhood and remember that child's soul and bring it back into their heart. That is who we were and are meant to be. Unafraid and untouched by others opinions and judgements.