“Only grownup in the room ….”

I saw this woman interviewed a few nights ago and I loved what she had to say. She is the oldest full-time ranger in the National Park Service. She is 92 year old Betty Reid Soskin and she’s been furloughed due to the government shutdown.

Sitting at home is not something that she enjoys. She’d much rather be at her 5 day a week job. She is a park ranger at the Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park in Richmond, California, giving tours for 3 days and working in the Administrative Office for the other two. She told the interviewer that she is confused and angered at all the silliness going on in Washington, DC. It makes her feel like she’s “the only grownup in the room.”

Rosie the Riveter was the name attached to the women who took on factory jobs that had originally been handled by the men who were off fighting World War II . Ms. Soskin was not a “Rosie”, per se, but she is from that era and she remembers first-hand what it was like back in the 40’s. Her tour guide talks are enhanced with her historic memories.

 

After watching the interview I did a little research on her and was surprised and pleased to see that she has a blog (http://cbreaux.blogspot.com/). I can’t think of a better way to end this blog entry of mine than with these words of hers, posted Oct. 1st…just after she learned that she was furloughed.

“Guess this is the prelude to retirement, maybe?

But I want to have my career end on my own terms and not at the whim of others. Could that be what they're doing in Washington, just "whim-ming"? I know that isn't a word, but maybe in this case it might explain a situation that defies logic or even common sense.

What ever happened to common sense, anyway?”