It isn’t often one thinks about or even considers the spouse of a famous automotive pioneer. We came across the story recently of Bertha Benz, a German automotive ‘pioneer’ in her own right. Wife-and business partner of Karl Benz Bertha was the first person to drive an automobile over a distance of 66 miles while field-testing it: the patent Motorwagen by Carl Benz (August of 1888). She also invented brake pads while solving several practical issues.

According to Wikipedia, Bertha was born in Pforzheim, Germany on May 3, 1849 (d. May 5, 1944). Karl’s spouse from 1872-1929, she was the mother of his children, Thilde, Richard, Eugen and Ellen.

Apparently quite a visionary, Bertha was the first person to ‘test-drive’ a vehicle. A very determined lady, Bertha was denied access to higher education due to the belief at the time, that “the lighter brain of women was logically unable to absorb and process as much information.” Just as absurd, the belief went that thinking too much was harmful to a woman’s child-bearing ability! Nevertheless, Bertha became interested in technical matters when young. Her father, a successful carpenter, who wrote in his diary-later discovered by Bertha after her birth “unfortunately, a girl again…” but it never dissuaded her. He worked with her explaining such things as the workings of a locomotive. Because of her enthusiastic response, Bertha was allowed to attend a school for high-born daughters at the age of nine. Her favorite subject was ‘natural science.’

Paying little attention to naysayers, Bertha preferred the life of an introverted tinkerer and didn’t hesitate to invest her entire dowry in the Benz company. Although this was no easy task-or time-for such endeavors, Bertha married, and supported Carl Benz, an unrecognized design genius, in the business of automobiles.

Experiencing hard work and many setbacks, the duo registered a patent for the Motor Car on January 29, 1886, making Car Benz the inventor of the automobile. At first, no one was interested in purchasing the Motor Car. So, to prove its value, Bertha undertook a long-distance journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim, to demonstrate the car’s value. Bertha and two of their sons-in secrecy-took to the road in the Benz Patent Motor Car. Due to poor roads, lack of fuel, and clogged valves, she resorted to a garter (insulation) and a hat-pin (unclog the fuel line), and ligroin-a petroleum solvent needed for the car to run. When running out of gas, she helped push the Motor Car for several miles.

How this vehicle ever ran is a miracle. The brakes were wooden-needing a cobbler to install leather as brake pads and creating a cooling system to cool the engine. Each time they stopped over those 66 miles, they added water to their supply. Built with just two gears, the Motor Car often had to be pushed by her sons to navigate steep roads.

Getting lots of publicity was just what was needed to spread the word about the new Benz vehicle. Introducing it in such an innovative way didn’t hurt either. The trip also led to introducing several improvements. Bertha chronicled all that happened over those 66 miles, made suggestions and improvements, as well as introducing the importance of test drives.

Although it would be many years before the automobile gained its importance, there is no question these early discoveries were an essential start. On her 95th birthday, Bertha Benz received the honor of honorary senator by the technical University of Karlsruhe. She died two days later… “a woman who allowed nothing and no one to dissuade her from her visions.”

Joe Biden, good guy. (Chicago Tribune)

In his acceptance speech last night, Joe Biden showered a torrent of malarky on Americans who thirst for a President Nice Guy.

For a candidate whose campaign once pledged “no malarky,” Biden’s appeal to empathy and goodness was beyond malarky. It was drivel and hogwash.

Bucketfuls of “abiding humanity and racial inclusivity” and “decency” poured forth.  “Compassion is on the ballot,” Biden himself read. Ugliness and viciousness are on the run. 

As I listened, I wondered why kind and loving are the most important qualities of a good president. Abraham Lincoln, ugly and ungainly, wasn’t elected because he was a swell guy. Can you name a president who’s greatest virtue was being simpatico? Maybe Jimmy Carter, but you saw how he turned out.

Biden’s critics, of course, jumped on him and the entire of theme of the Democratic National Convention for lacking “substance.”  But the critics are wrong. He has no substance, so what could he say? Trying to straddle the middle and the far left, he did the splits.

But more important, he’s not searching for voters who support a candidate because of his positions, policies and issues. For Biden’s script writers, emotion–not rational discussion–is the touchstone.

Trump, as I’ve said, is a jerk. But he does stuff. He acts. Much of what he has done has worked. You might not like what he does–and I won’t call you something nasty if you don’t–but he’s upfront about it. Biden, well, not so much. He’s an empty vessel, waiting for whatever concoction will be poured in.

For those who surely know that President Donald Trump is evil incarnate, I might suggest a proverb: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”  Oh, but surely, Biden is no devil. He’s a nice guy, a good man. 

For me, this con says it best:

“I wyll neuer bye the pyg in the poke
Thers many a foule pyg in a feyre cloke”

Yesterday morning, I’m watching Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC. The A-block comes to an end (How cool am I to know that the first segment is called the A-block?) and Andrea thanks her guests for being available “On a busy news day.” I look at my tv and say loudly…okay, I’m actually shouting…”When the fuck isn’t it a busy news day?

Okay, I admit Andrea was right. Between the convention and Steve Bannon being arrested it was a busy news day. The problem is every day is a busy news day. I guess it’s acceptable in 2020. We have an election in less than three months. We’re in the midst of a deadly pandemic. And, then there’s Donald Trump! You put the threesome together and damn, that leads to a lot of news…and usually, it’s breaking news.

The problem is it’s more than a little overwhelming. It’s become 24/7/365 and it’s too much. Wayyyyy too much!

If it was only for 2020, I think most of us could deal with it. But, it hasn’t been. It’s going on since November 2016. With most presidencies, the quieter the better. When you don’t hear from them, you know things are fine. Since Donald Trump has taken office, that has changed. His administration has been so dysfunctional, that almost daily, it leads the news. Trump and his people have taken over the A block!

So how do you get a break? How do you keep your sanity?

Maybe you turn off your television, or at least find a station other than MSNBC, CNN or Fox News? But, if you do that you may miss something important and possibly life-changing. That would certainly lead to more yelling f-bombs at your television. It’s a no-win situation.

Sigh! Looks like I’m going to have to suck up this busy news day thing because it’s not going to stop, at least not for the next few months. Maybe we’ll see that change starting at noon on January 20, 2021. That’s the inauguration A-block.

Related Post: Do you scream at Donald Trump when he’s on television?

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For my family, this week marked the start of eLearning. It brought with it everything you might expect coming off of months of togetherness, an unclear future, underlying fears for our health and safety, a new routine and so much mystery. Both of my kids (4^th and 7^th) used the words excited and terrified in the same sentence on the eve of this school year.

When I dropped my masked 4^th grader in the parking lot of a place he’s always been comfortable and happy, he mustered his strength and confidence despite being rattled with nerves. He met his teacher and peers outside for a half hour while I rolled through the well-executed school supply pick-up line. In my vision were clusters of Kindy and 1^st-grade teachers and students all safely seated in large circles reading books together. And I got a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

There has been so much controversy around going back to school. I think much of it’s being driven by adults festering so much emotion and some – more than others – working hard to manage it, protect our kids from it and create environments that have what each individual family (and each person!) needs to survive. If you’re thriving, amazing, but for the most part, let’s strive to survive. And learn, and control our fears, our tears and our anger. And let’s be sure we’re empathetic.

I know why I cried. I cried because this was an in-real-life visual of what the pandemic has taken from us. And I didn’t like it. Sadness overwhelmed me because this pandemic has robbed our children and our teachers from the first-day high-fives, reunion hugs and giant smiles – for now. (I cry at the birthday car parades, too.)

I cried again when I pulled back through the lot to pick up my boy, and this time it was different. The teachers bustled around, their happy eyes sparkled so it didn’t matter that I couldn’t see their faces – I knew they were smiling so hard! And I knew I had to continue my message of having faith, despite the returning lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

No matter what this fall looks like for you – if you’re a teacher, a parent, a student of elementary or college-aged kids, a staff member in a building, the janitor, the nurse or the principal (who bears so much weight I can hardly imagine how she was smiling so brightly when I waved to her from the car) – it’s critical we have faith.

And we have to let ourselves have our moments and cry, too. Families with special-needs students; parents working full time (or any time!); partners in parenting who have to juggle one student, or two or three or more; kids who love eLearning, kids who despise it; teachers with or without students of their own who are navigating this new format and their own worries; the list goes on and on, so anywhere we land on the pandemic-era back-to-school spectrum we have to know it’s ok to cry because (fill in your blank).

But those tears will ebb if we muster faith and gratitude. Faith in whatever drives you to survive or thrive. And gratitude for even the tiniest successes in our one-day-at-a-time marathon.

Yesterday – the first full day of eLearning – brought something I didn’t expect again. I felt a sense of calm once everyone got up and running. Did I love the day-long Zoom-fest? Nope. But I was happy that I got to hunker down and truly get back to my job, which I do love and appreciate. I was proud that the kids had to find resilience and challenge themselves to figure this shit out. And, for me, I’ve always felt calm and safe at home. So I felt a sense of gratitude that we had to be here – I didn’t need to find a safe activity to fulfill movement, brain work or social engagement because we could justify just staying home. Our al fresco lunch and recess helped fuel the rest of the day, and I felt so grateful for – quite literally – each minute of calm. I know it wasn’t easy for anyone, and I’m not saying it should or will be.

I’m just digging deep – and imploring all of you – to find faith and gratitude. Find the support you need if you need it, ask for help, take your more flexible friends and family up on their offers and, when you need it, cry. Cry because:

(this is hard), (this is challenging beyond our wildest dreams), (my kid is thriving), (my kid is struggling), (we have lost so much), (we do actually have things to gain), (our teachers rock), (our grocery store clerks stocked the shelves), (our docs are learning how to treat this villain of a virus), (someone’s smiling eyes looked at you), (your partner is your teammate), (you have a full bottle of wine), (someone else cleaned up), (Starbucks has a drive-thru), (nonprofits are helping students and families stay safe, fed and ready for school), (nurses are comforting those who need it), (the sun has been shining way more than normal in the Midwest), (new school supplies are so pretty), (masks work), and (fill in your blank).

Faith, gratitude and tears when you need them – and if you need Grateful Girl’s hopefulness, reach out. I’m working hard to maintain my gratitude-inspired lifestyle, and it’s helping so far. I’m happy to help you, too!