What am I reading now…
I just started reading Son of the Middle Border, by Hamlin Garland. I picked it up for two reasons; first, having grown up along the Mississippi River, I could easily relate to the title, and second, Garland himself lived in West Salem, Wisconsin, little more than 20 miles from my hometown of La Crosse.
I expected a novel, but what I got instead was a novelized-memoir/autobiography. I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m enjoying it immensely. He speaks quite passionately about his father’s return home from the Civil War, and in some ways, brings that time to life in some startling ways. Garland was obviously a man who loved his family, and he recounts his memories of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and neighbors in a very engaging way. I’m enjoying the book, but a lot has happened in the 90 years since it was written–he explains some things, confident that I will understand what he is writing about, but h’ain’t necessarily so. His description of “threshing” includes a detailed description of something called “the power,” and it took me some time to figure out that this was a horse-driven flywheel mechanism to which the threshing machine was connected. The horses powered it by drawing a carousel-like contraption in circles around it. This was as alien to me as my ipod would be to Mr. Garland.
The point I want to make here, however, is not the differences in technology, terminology, or time, but the amazing consistency in the nature of people. Garland was a wonderful observer of the human condition, and his characterizations are honest, not always flattering, but always compassionate. He accepts people as people, with their foibles and imperfections.
He is a master at describing what motivates people, how teams work, and the imperfections that mark some of his most colorful characters. He expresses deep appreciation for people who might not have liked each other. Never mind that–Garland likes them, and because of that, we like them, too.
The good leader knows how to see the best in people, and strives to nurture their strengths. Like Garland, I have many friends who would not get along with each other. That is not the point, though. I am richer for the different perspectives they bring to my life, and I hope, a better person because of the positive influence they have had on me.
I read books like Garland’s because they open my eyes. I find much to disagree with in Garland’s life and fiction, but I enjoy hearing his voice from times gone by. He has shown me this: Across the generations, we are all the same, and yet across today, we are all different.
This is a lesson we all need, and as I ponder it, I am struck with both fear and gratitude.