I Love to Read About...
I have a soft spot for historical romances. The real ones. Even though you can't really know if they are true or not.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises to me was the story of King George the III of England. Being raised 100% American, I was brought up on stories of King George the Tyrant. In the gaining of wisdom, I have come to realize that there were many facets to his character, and what appeared to be unreasonable here, was the product of social and political conditions there which made it seem something entirely different.
Anyway, many sources say that he was devoted to his wife. Quite an unusual thing in an English King - even those who professed to be devoted still fooled around as they chose, considering it to be perfectly normal and acceptable behavior, especially during wartimes. According to one source, infidelity is one thing that there is no evidence of where George the III is concerned.
Now, I have never believed the myth that an adulterous man could be a good husband. So when I am reading history, and someone starts babbling about how someone loved their wife in spite of womanizing, I lose all respect for both the subject of the discourse, AND the author. I figure both of them are fools.
Daniel Boone left his family to go and explore Kentucky. But then he went back and got them. He gained respect from me for that. He said he felt that God had inspired him to go - I would not believe that God would inspire him to leave his family permanently, so the fact that he went and got them made points in his favor!
Albert Schweitzer left his wife and child. I think that his brilliance was overrated for having made THAT decision.
Eleanor Roosevelt stuck with Franklin, in spite of his reputation. Kudos to her. Shame on him.
Fidelity is a big deal to me. Lack of it undermines love. It's presence helps to strengthen marriage. Anyone saying otherwise is simply wrong.
History has a special interest for me - to me, it is the study of events, but underneath it all are people, who acted in a certain way because of motivations that are not so different from those around us now.
When I read of leaders, and achievers, I am utterly unable to elevate them to a position of admiration if they have acted without honor in their personal relationships. Marriage and family are where honor and love are cultivated first. If they are lacking there, they will not be truly present anywhere else.
Written by Laura Wheeler
Owner, Firelight Web Studio
http://www.firelightwebstudio.com
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