I laughed and scrunched up my face when I read the title my web designer and friend Dorothea gave my home page: “A Lifetime of Adventure.” “No, it’s true,” she said, “You have done many things in your life that others haven’t and being a writer has framed your view of the world.”
I sign my email with a Mark Twain quote that explains what Dorothea told me: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness….” I truly believe it! As an Army brat I sampled life in Maryland, Hawaii, and New Mexico. In my career I focused on helping young people with disabilities to be independent, to do things. Along the way my husband Carl and I made trips to many countries including the United Kingdom, Iceland, Russia, and Germany plus travel to China when daughter Hope and son-in-law Chuck McGonigle lived there.
Then eventually four trips to Africa to befriend a Maasai safari guide and his family; they made us honorary members of the Liaram family. From these travels I helped raise money for a well in Oltorotua, Kenya, and worked to support several young Kenyan women so they could send back the ripples from their education into their own communities. All these experiences enriched my life and encouraged me toward social action in my hometown of Frederick, Maryland, and the larger world.
When I was writing Coping with Discrimination & Prejudice, journalist Sam Fulwood III told me, “I think it’s impossible to walk in someone else’s shoes, but we can empathize with others.” That quote appears in the book and I have carried it with me. No matter the situation or what I write, my goal is to identify with others and enjoy the interconnectedness of our world.
I also share with you this ancient Tibetan Buddhist blessing that many cultural and spiritual traditions share: “May you be well, happy, and peaceful.” In Maa, the language of the Maasai: Tobiko esupat, tenchipai o tosotua.
Note: Unless otherwise credited, my husband Carl Kruhm took all photos on this website.