Paging unseelie

[drwex]

Usually he links to these things before I find them, but this one landed on Google News's front page:
Woman fought with mountain lion to save husband.

This woman not only beat on a mountain lion with a four-inch log, she (at her husband's direction) got a pen out of his pocket and tried to stab the lion in the EYE. With a PEN. And when that didn't work she just picked up the stick and went back to beating on the wild animal.

He's 70. She's 65. They're about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary (yes, married at age 15, deal with it.).

Comments

Married at 15

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

2007 - 50 = 1957

The year in American history when a woman giving birth was the youngest was 1959, so this makes perfect sense.

Also remember that she was born in 1942; "war babies" tended to get married exactly to set up their own households very early.

[lifecollage.livejournal.com]

The lion eventually let go and, with blood on its nose, stood staring at her. She screamed and waved the log until the animal left.

You know you are badass when a cougar thinks you're the bigger badder predator. dude.

[unseelie.livejournal.com]

I can almost see the cats thoughts
"I'm a FUCKING COUGAR whats your excuse. I'm EATin' Heya! ... Uh... She Ain't leavin.... Oh... Aw fuck this...." *flees*

[quezz.livejournal.com]

That's why I carry a Maglite. Dayam, I admire that woman! I've just had to fight off people and angry dogs...so far.

[unseelie.livejournal.com]

*makes mental note*
*adds her to the list of 'my new pantheon'*

I've decided to make a list of people - real actual documented people - who rise above and beyond the call of duty or something....
she counts.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Nice. She is my new heroine.

[heinleinfan.livejournal.com]

"(yes, married at age 15, deal with it.)"

I'm coming more and more to think that this is not such a bad thing, in a way. Not from any sort of feminist viewpoint, but from the viewpoint that 50+ years ago, children were raised in such a way so that when they turned 16, 17, 18 they were *expected* to be adults and were *ready* for the most part to do so. It was not strange to think of a 16 year old, man or woman, to be capable of having a job, starting a family, creating a household, being responsible, whathaveyou.

I think one problem with our society nowadays is that children are being raised *like children* well past the age when they should be making their own decisions, and then thrown out of their comfortable little "parents make all the rules and they follow them, for the most part" worlds into college and they have *no idea* how to behave like adults. They are suddenly expected to be adults and they've never had any practice at it!

One thing I admire in the biggest way is how you and M give your children decision making abilities, albeit within guidelines meant for their own health and well-being, but still there are choices they get to make and they must reap the rewards or suffer the consequences based on what choice they make. That's good parenting.

And yes, that's way off topic but I've just been thinking about it a lot lately.