I like the Disney Ariel just as much as I like Princess Leia, and my current blog series isn't about criticizing one over the other. It is more about how Triana, the mermaid in Travelers and Settlers, is her own unique mermaid princess. The blogs are also my way of introducing to you some of the fascinating historical characters Triana meets or cohabits with in the stories. These women are their own variation of a princess. My hope is that my book characters help to inspire greatness in all of us no matter how it manifests itself. Seek to be your own type of hero or heroine. Whether you need to be brave like Leia or reach for a special dream like Ariel; pave your own path. Margaret Brown Since I was raised on musicals, I must admit the reason I originally knew anything about Molly Brown was because of the movie Debbie Reynolds starred in, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Once I researched the real woman, I realized I underestimated how incredible she was. Molly Brown came from Colorado, my home state. I discovered Hollywood gave her that name, and that she was never called Molly. Her nickname was Maggie. The more I found out about her, I was thankful I chose Margaret to be in my next book, Settlers. She did many extraordinary things beyond surviving the sinking of the Titanic, and I will mention only a few in this article. Margaret Tobin was born on July 18, 1867 to parents who were Irish immigrants in Hannibal, Missouri. At the age of eighteen Maggie moved to Leadville, Colorado with her sister, which is where Maggie met her husband James Joseph (J.J.) Brown. The Browns were married in Leadville where they lived until they became wealthy. Maggie was part of the feminist movement in her town and the Women’s Suffrage Association which sought for women to have the right to vote. The Browns became rich from the mine J.J. had stock in and worked, but Maggie didn’t forget her poorer roots and sought to help those less fortunate throughout her whole life. She founded the Denver’s Women Club which advocated literacy, education, suffrage, and human rights in Colorado and throughout the United States. Margaret also raised money to build a Cathedral and St. Joseph’s hospital. She worked with Judge Ben Lindsey to help impoverished children and founded the first Juvenile Court in the country, which eventually became the basis for today's U.S. juvenile court system. Margaret was also the first woman to run for a political office in the United States. She ran for Senate eight years before women had the right to vote. She was a woman ahead of her time. Margaret's life endeavors remind me that sometimes we limit ourselves because we think we are too ordinary. When I look at Maggie, I don’t see someone with a prodigy’s talents. She was an average girl who didn’t let anything stop her from doing what her conscious led her to do. Sometimes we view celebrities with their money and attractive looks as having the edge on making a difference in this world. I think if we all strive to be the best versions of ourselves, and reach for our dreams, we may find what we can accomplish far outweighs the boundaries we set for ourselves. For more information on Margaret visit these links: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/molly-brown.html http://blogs.denverpost.com/titanic/2012/04/11/5-1912-brown-writes-story-titanic-disaster/ This is called the Molly Brown House where Margaret lived with J.J. in Denver, CO.
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December 2023
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