This past weekend I had a wonderful trip to Carter Caves in
eastern Kentucky with a few women I met through the Sierra Club. The eight of us were packed nicely into a
cabin that conveniently slept eight (four double beds, so the term “packed” is
properly used).
 |
|
Here is our cabin, and look
at the beautiful fall colors!
|
 |
|
Some of the trails at Carter Caves could be challenging,
especially when the leaves were obscuring the path.
|
 |
| Here is my friend, Chris, showing us her expertise over the rocks. It was like we were kids again, playing in the woods, exploring the wilderness. We hiked 4 miles the first day, 5 miles the second, and 2 on the third day. Needless to say, three days of hiking has left me a little stiff. |
 |
| A close up of the fallen leaves. Autumn is truly my favorite season. |
The inspiration behind our gathering was to discuss the book
When Everything Changed by Gail
Collins. The location and hiking was
just a bonus since we all love the outdoors (we met through the Sierra Club
after all). This book recounts the
revolution in women’s lives over the past 50 years. It opens in 1960 when women had to get their
husband’s signature to buy a car or get a credit card and ends with Hillary
Clinton’s historic presidential campaign.
It covered politics, fashion, economics, sex, families, and work. The women at the Carter Caves getaway ranged
in age from 40’s to 70’s so there were many personal accounts of changes they
experienced. My being the youngest, didn’t
truly understand how dramatic those changes were. I saw some through my military career, but nothing
like the stories they had to tell. I
never tried to question the culture of the time; I just followed in the
footsteps of women that went before me.
This book brought me a greater appreciation of the nonconformists and made
me realize how it was because of them that I could have the type of life that I
am leading today. Very interesting. I recommend every woman, regardless of age,
read this book. For the younger, it will
seem like ancient history, but really it was not that long ago. For the older, it may be an enjoyable trip
down memory lane. Either way, great
book!
More pictures of our weekend can be found on the tab to the right, labeled Pictures, Oct 2013.
