This weekend, I took a comp jeep tour near Big Bend National Park, and had the lucky fortune to be assigned Elizabeth as my guide. She was terrific, pacing her "Intro to" information on the history, prehistory, geology, botany, archaeology, and zoology of the area.
Towards the end of the tour, she told us a little about herself, and Terlingua, the town at the edge of the park. Elizabeth had "done the power suit thing" in the Big City, in this case, Boston. She'd gone to graduate school and was running a successful non-profit, but wanted more out of life.
She came down here and was entranced by the land, but also by the way women are treated. "People expect women to be competent. They expect you to know how to weld, how to fix the U joint on your truck. But if you don't know how, and ask for help, they're happy to help. They just won't offer for fear of offending you." Elizabeth has been building her own house off the grid for several years. "I don't have any debt; I just build it as I go. I do have lower cupboards, but it will be a little while before I have upper ones in the kitchen." She's also installed solar for power, and built a cachement system to collect rainwater. "I've learned to use very little water, and I haven't had TV for 15 years. You learn to live with less, but it seems like a richer life."
She also said there's zero tolerance for harrassment of women in the area. "I can go anywhere by myself and not be afraid. If a guy bothers you, all you have to do is tell another guy. They'll take care of it and right away."
No comments:
Post a Comment