This statue was erected in Ponca City Oklahoma by the oil baron Mr. Marland in 1929 to honor the Pioneer Woman. As my 9 year old son leaned against it all kinds of thoughts flooded my mind. What would his life have been like if he grew up in Oklahoma in the 1890s? Was the Pioneer Woman a single mom? Did her other children die? The story of the Pioneer Woman is interesting. Over 40,000 people came to her witness her unveiling and to hear humorist Will Rogers speak. Considering the population of Ponca City in 1929 I can only assume every living being within 50 miles came to this event. http://www.marlandmansion.com/Pages/pw.html
Life before fossil fuels. Hmmmm. They had a lower carbon footprint but only because of limited income I'm sure. Sustainable lifestyles are equated with lack; is there a type of rich, affluent modern lifestyle that is also sustainable? I suppose we'll have to find one, or die trying.
I just read a book about the Marland family and that statue. It was interesting. I often think about what it would be like to see Oklahoma from the Pioneers perspective. All of that open space, it must have been terrifying and exciting at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that would depend on how one defines those terms... (i.e. lack, rich,affluent). I personally don't see sustainable lifestyles lacking anything -- when seen from a societal perspective. Isn't it (or shouldn't it be) about quality of life rather than quantity?
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