A Visit to Some Old Friends, The Hardings

I needed a bit of a break from things today, some time to clear out the cobwebs in my head and heart.  I'm on a short hiatus from running as my Very Bad Ankle has been hurting and I don't want to suffer an injury at this point of my training.

Running has been my mind-clearing go-to for a while now, but as that was unavailable I reverted to an old favorite--the drive.  The same higher functions that are engaged when running are engaged while driving and the rest of my mind is able to roam free and work through things.  Also, I get to sing at the top of my lungs in the car.  Believe me, the tops of my lungs are quite healthy and you don't want to be terribly close when I get belting.

Off I headed to Marion, OH on this glorious afternoon.  It finally wasn't oppressively hot, it was sprinkling off and on, somewhat overcast and simply a scrumptious day.   I've been fascinated by the Hardings for years.  I grew up a half-hour away from Marion, and for years worked and went to school in Marion, so it is as much as part of my history as anywhere else.  And the Hardings are a big part of Marion.  As we stand close to electing someone like Harding in many ways I thought it fitting to visit.

Most often remembered for the scandals that plagued what became the end of his presidency (Teapot Dome, and his numerous affairs being most notable), the Harding that fascinates me most is Florence.  She was a divorcee, a few years older that Warren.  She married him against her father's wishes (he thought Warren was social-climbing, which was absolutely true) in the house in which they co-habitated.  She was a shrewd businesswoman, a gifted promoter and hostess and was honestly the force behind her husband's business and political success.  With the megaphone given her as first lady, she championed the single working woman, and advocated higher education for all women.  Also, I firmly believe she was involved in the murder of her husband and its coverup, and that she was murdered as well.   But those insane ramblings are for another day, eh?

I leave you with some great pictures--the monument itself is beautiful and, as such things tend to be, a bit lonely and sad.  Warren Harding was beloved by the populace during his presidency, but in the end here he lies in a quiet empty monument rarely visited save for school children.  He is forever known for his excesses and mistakes than the good he did as president.  I left thinking about what was notable in my life, and how I can work to make the notable better.