Book 1 Post #2

 

Gloria Steinem’s book, My Life on the Road, is a deeply insightful book full of impactful stories and advice. The book is an autobiography of Steinem’s nomadic life in which she tells of traveling around the U.S. and the globe and learning lessons about feminism, acceptance, and activism. She recounts a plethora of her unique experiences with people from different cultures and occupations, all of whom taught her valuable lessons. She starts the book with stories from her childhood, telling how her father’s “go with the flow” attitude inspired her to embrace the unknown and live life freely. One central theme that she reiterates throughout the book is how beneficial meeting new people and experiencing new cultural practices is. Her second chapter, “Talking Circles,” highlights the power of women-led groups and movements and inspires activism and involvement. Probably my favorite chapter of the book, though, is the third, titled Why I Don’t Drive.

It was incredible hearing about how such a traveled person could have met so many people and visited so many places without having a driver’s license. In this chapter, Steinem tells story after story of her experiences with taxi drivers. There was one quote she has about travelling that stood out to me: “I find that a travelling woman—perhaps especially a travelling feminist—becomes a kind of celestial bartender. People say things they wouldn’t share with a therapist.”(Steinem) “Celestial bartender” is a title I definitely would not mind adopting and one that I aspire to.  In the modern age of Lyft and Uber, it’s super easy to hail, find, and tip a driver on your phone all without any verbal exchange with the person in the driver’s seat. After reading this chapter and seeing how much there is to learn from drivers, I’m inspired to put down the phone in the back seat and ask my driver to teach me anything they’ve learned from being on the road with so many people.

Overall, this book is really well written and contains valuable advice, especially for women wanting to break away from the societal expectations of a domestic and sedentary lifestyle. She highlights the importance of achieving a balance between finding a home and experiencing the joys of the road. It’s a lesson I will take with me next Spring when I graduate and become a full-fledged adult, looking to find a place where I can do both.