Great Onelers: Sylvia Williams of Temple Hills August 12, 2009
Posted by Onely in As If!, Food for Thought, Great Onelies in Real Time.Tags: ibby caputo, singles aging, sylvia williams, walker mill middle school, washington post health section
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Yesterday the Washington Post had an article on Aging Well at All Ages. One of the four large faceshots on the front page of the Health section belonged to Sylvia Williams, 62, of Temple Hills. She is a counselor at Walker Mill Middle School. She says,
Being grateful and not trying to be a teenager again. Not trying to be younger than you are. It’s ok. And today’s my birthday. . . I’m single, no children and I guess that’s why I’m doing well.
Cheers to Sylvia.
Separately, I noticed how each of the photo captions mentioned three things about the person featured: (more…)
Hard-Core Oneler: Dick Proenneke June 12, 2009
Posted by Onely in Great Onelies in Real Time, Great Onely Activities, Profiles, Secret Lives of the Happily Single, single and happy, solo travel, We like. . ..Tags: Bob Swerer Productions, Dick Proenneke, handmade cabin, One Man's Wilderness, Richard Proenneke, twin lakes alaska
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Welcome to the Hard-Core Edition of our series, Great Onelers In Real Time. Today’s Hard-Core Oneler is former Navy carpenter Richard Proenneke. In 1968, at the age of 51, he went to the ultra-wild wilderness of Twin Lakes, Alaska and built himself a cabin by hand, with no chain saws or other automated machinery. He even carved the handles for the tools he used to hew the spruce logs. Then he lived in the cabin for over thirty years.
The mesmerizing video Alone in the Wilderness by Bob Swerer Productions tells the story of Dick’s first year at Twin Lakes. Dick used a tripod to film himself building his cabin. We see many shots of him from the backside, walking away from the lens with a determined, slightly bow-legged stride, once with a sheep ribcage strapped to his back. He films grizzly bears rolling joyfully down snowy slopes. He feeds birds by hand. He makes door hinges, for goodness’ sake (I didn’t know you could make door hinges; I thought they grew on the door hinge tree). (more…)
Great Onelies in Real Time: Dr. Trudy Steuernagel February 4, 2009
Posted by Onely in Great Onelies in Real Time.Tags: autism, feminism, fox8news, Gertude Steuernagel, Kent State, mental health advocacy, Sky Walker
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Onely salutes Dr. Gertrude Steuernagel, a beloved and progressive women’s studies and political science professor at Kent State in Ohio. Steuernagel is an accomplished and outspoken and feminist and autism advocate. As she raised her adored son Sky, who is autistic, she also found time to make an impact in both the women’s movement and in mental health advocacy–all while Onely.
Tragically, last week Steuernagel was severely beaten by Sky. Autism does not/not cause violence in and of itself, but the resulting sensory overload and frustration of not being able to communicate can cause sufferers to lash out, and Sky had other neurological challenges as well that may have contributed to the assault. He didn’t know what he was doing. Steuernagel knew the challenges associated with caring for Sky, but she also knew the joys, as she describes in this amazing essay. She is truly a Great Onely, and we send our strongest well-wishes out to her numerous family and friends.
–CC
(more…)
Great Onelies in Real Time: Shanaz (YOUR RESPONSES REQUESTED) January 8, 2009
Posted by Onely in As If!, Everyday Happenings, Food for Thought, Great Onelies in Real Time, Heteronormativity, Profiles, Your Responses Requested!.Tags: gay, haircut, homophobia, iranian politics, lesbian, single, singlism
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This evening my hairdresser and I talked about being Onely. Shanaz likes men but is more interested in friends, her hair artistry, her daughter, her writing (Persian language commentary on Iranian politics), and just life. “I’m happiest without a boyfriend,” she says. At forty-something, she’s been married and coupled and single and even accidentally involved with a married man. And she chooses single.
But you know what’s coming next, don’t you? (more…)
Great Onelies in Real Time: Veronica Dylan December 22, 2008
Posted by Onely in blog reviews, Dating, Great Onelies in Real Time, Profiles, Reviews.Tags: california, costa rica, divorce network, divorced, so over you, throwing things, veronica dylan
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Lisa and I are doing our Onely thing in California and Costa Rica, respectively. A few days ago, at the resort where I was staying on the southwest Pacific coast, I had the good fortune to meet another Great Onely: Veronica Dylan, who owns a rockin’ sparkle blouse and also blogs with honesty and humor about life after divorce.
I like her blog “So Over You” for a couple reasons (in addition to the blouse!): (more…)
Great Onelies in Realtime: Lisa December 17, 2008
Posted by Onely in Great Onelies in Real Time, Profiles.Tags: cross-country, denial, how we write history, MFA, real time, reality show, single
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Welcome to Great Onelies in Realtime, a spinoff of our long-running (one post!) Great Onelies in History series. Our inaugural Great Realtime Onely is: Lisa, coblogger on Onely.org! Ok, sure, this stinks of nepotism, but to tell the truth, Lisa and I don’t know that many Onelies–at least none who met the extensive profile criteria of 1) being willing to be written about by us (chickens!!). That’s why we always solicit suggestions from you, Copious Readers. Do you have single friends who exhibit moments of great Oneliness? Do you have heroes in politics, science, the media, medicine, social work who also happen to be Onely? Let us know!
So, here’s why Lisa is a Great Onely: (more…)
Great Onelies in History: Sarah and Angelina Grimké December 12, 2008
Posted by Onely in Great Onelies in History, Profiles, We like. . ..Tags: abolition, angelina grimke, anti-racist, first feminist, literacy, pro-woman, quakers, rhetoric, sarah grimke, sisters, social activism, suffrage
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Sarah Grimké
Last week we announced a new series: Great Onelies in History, featuring Frances Willard. Luckily for our copious readership, I’m finishing up a semester’s graduate course in the history of rhetoric, and so I’ve got two more important rhetorical figures for us to celebrate! This week, we’re happy to introduce:
Sarah and Angelina Grimké, Great Onelies in History!
1792-1873
Famous for: Advocating for women’s rights, suffrage, and the abolition of slavery. Angelina Grimké happened to be married, but much of her activism work occurred while she was single — we think she deserves Honorary Oneler status!
Great Onelies in History: Frances Willard December 1, 2008
Posted by Onely in Great Onelies in History, Profiles.Tags: 19th century, frances willard, rhetoric, WCTU, women's christian temperance union, women's rights
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We’re happy to announce a new series: Great Onelies in History, which we’re sure all you history buffs will enjoy. In this series, we’ll feature people who made a difference in the world and just happened to be single while doing it!
To inaugurate our series, we’re happy to introduce:
Frances Willard, Great Oneler in History!
1839-1898
Famous for: Advocating for women’s rights and suffrage, especially through her leadership of the WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union)
Onely.Org 