The Mark of an Educated Mind

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it...Aristotle

Back in the days of The Ladies Tea Guild and our beloved quarterly, The Gilded Lily, I was apple, lime and kelly green. This lead to occasionally being cold cocked and rained upon. You learn quickly how to drop and roll and where the windshield wipers are. 

And you know you'll always be in for a surprise.

Take the Autumn 2001 issue of The Gilded Lily for instance. A Pleasurable Shudder, was the feature - a well-researched historical piece about the Victorian ghost story as a genre of writing. I was pleased with it.

My pleasure slightly dimmed after receiving emails from a woman threatening to cancel her subscription if..."this publication continued  featuring blatant non-Christian text."

Whoa, Missy! Hang on to your teacup! 

I didn't drop and roll. Rather, I grew taller.

A Pleasurable Shudder did not claim the existence of ghosts or mention my own thoughts on ghostly subjects. It didn't even express my irritation with ghosts refusing to show themselves despite my eagerness for an introduction. 

I was, "Just stating the facts, Ma'am."

It's hard to fathom those possessed of such delicate sensibilities. Even the facts of history set their hearts aflutter? Poor things.

But one of us here had to draw a line in the sand. I immediately sent a full subscription refund.

I bring this up as a friend offering pre-publication thoughts on Steeped fretted over the following lines:

Before going any further, I’m compelled to mention I find politics less than enthralling. Imagine a woman dressed in
high Victorian style sitting in an opera box, sighing as she occasionally gazes into lovely sterling opera glasses at the action below her. That woman would be me.

That said, I could not miss even a political tea party when it came to town. Not only could I not resist, I was fearful of missing something. After all, John Adams, had this to say of the Boston Tea Party:

“This is the most magnificent movement of all! There is a dignity, a majesty, a sublimity, in this last effort of the patriots that I greatly admire. The people should never rise without doing something to be remembered - something notable and striking. This destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid, and inflexible, and it must have so important consequences, and so lasting that I can't but consider it an epoch in history.”
 
On the chance this Tea Party was indeed a “most magnificent movement” or an “epoch in history” in the making, I was determined to be on hand. And my expectations were high. Did I understand the original tea party was about taxation without representation? Absolutely. For the record, I did not expect the Eleanor, the Beaver, or the Dartmouth to be sitting at the water's edge. Neither did I anticipate men dressed as Mohawk Indians to be in attendance. Although, personally, I think costuming adds immeasurably to any event.

Her fear was some might find these lines offensive and, by association, myself as well. Really?

I realize my having long retained a private cabin on the Good Ship Lollipop sometimes leaves me in the lurch, but...really? Those lines are a small part of a larger essay having not a thing to do with politics? The essay is called Searching for Tea High and Low for heaven sakes! She said as she stood taller, thinking some need put their big girl panties on.

The text stayed put. 

And...I confess to having attended EVERY Tea Party held in my part of the world. Need it even be a confession? Really?

I had to go. It still pains me that I missed the Boston Tea Party. 

But beyond that...how often do you get to experience news in your own backyard with the opportunity to form your own first hand opinion? I'd hate to be the only one saying, "Well, I saw it on TV but...." What if John Adams was right?

I'm sure Aristotle was right. And I think he would have love Steeped.

That Autumn 2001 issue of The Gilded Lily is still available, by the way, at Glily.com