Passing the torch
Posted on Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 7:21 pmI was stuck at the Louisville airport yesterday–very unhappily, mind you, because I was supposed to be on a 10:21 flight that would get me east in time to make it to the Orioles last game of the season, for which I had very good seats, but nooo, stupid mechanical difficulties meant the only part of the game I got to experience was the last half-inning, which I heard on the radio; I’m glad they won, but I was supposed to be there, dammit!–when I noticed that the little girl next to me was reading a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. I was in a pissy mood, and that just cheered me right up, because she looked to be about the same age I was when I first read a biography of Eleanor. Turns out I was right; she was in third grade, and I had been in fourth grade. She said she was enjoying it, and I was just so glad. Eleanor rules! Yay!
And then, today, I saw someone link to Eleanor’s appearance on What’s My Line?. It seems so bizarre to see the former first lady on a game show, but it is really neat.
Of course, she also did commercials.
I guess the maintenance of Hyde Park must’ve eaten up the money she got from her newspaper column, etc. But can you imagine Laura Bush shilling for some random company?
Anyway, happy early 125th birthday (Oct. 11), Eleanor!