Why A Native American Statue Sits In Ireland, A Nurse Survives The Titanic Sinking, And A Prolific Romance Novelist: Why You Should 'Mind The GAP' - Simple Advice For Creatives
The 3-Word Quote: “Simplicity Is Satisfying”
Thanks for spending a few minutes here today.
1.
One million people died - mainly from starvation.
Twenty-five percent of the population fled the country because of horrific conditions.
It was described as one of the "greatest exoduses from a single island in history."
It was known as 'The Great Hunger' - or simply 'The Famine.'
The Irish Potato Famine lasted from about 1845 to 1852 and devastated a country and its people.
A disease infected the country's main crop; it affected all of Europe, but it walloped Ireland.
Senator Henry Clay said of the Irish crisis, "No imagination can conceive- no tongue express - no brush paint - the horrors of the scenes which are exhibited in Ireland."
Relief to Ireland was widespread at the time as many tried to help.
The US sent dozens of ships stuffed with relief goods and funds.
President Polk was said to have personally sent $50.
Congressman Abraham Lincoln contributed $10 at the time.
Queen Elizabeth sent one thousand pounds.
The Pope distributed finds, too.
Nearly every religion and ethnicity group endeavored to assist the Irish people.
But one group's donation was not only generous but particularly surprising.
The money was gathered by a group who may have needed the money and aid as much as the Irish.
2.
Violet Jessop lived a long life and died of congenital heart failure in 1971 at the age of 83.
She probably should have died much earlier.
In 1911, Jessop began working as a stewardess for the shipbuilder White Star.
She was assigned to work on the RMS Olympic - the largest civilian ship at the time.
It was a luxury ship, and Jessop enjoyed her job immensely.
But on September 20, 1911, the large RMS Olympic violently collided with HMS Hawke, a British warship.
The collision was massive and left the Olympic severely damaged.
And it left Jessop shaken but feeling lucky to have survived.
The damaged ocean liner made its way back to Southampton, England under its own power without sinking.
Having survived the collision with the Hawke, Jessop opted to continue working for White Star until she was transferred to Olympic's sister ship.
So, in April 1912, Jessop began her new job on her new ship.
This beautiful new ship was named the Titanic.
Jessop boarded the Titanic on April 10, 1912.
She worked on the ship for four days.
Then, the new luxury liner motored by an iceberg, striking it on April 14, 1912.
Now Jessop found herself part of a second ship disaster, this one far more serious.
In the chaos of the Titanic's sinking, she stood on deck watching the crew load passengers on lifeboats.
She was ordered to stand on deck and demonstrate - especially to the non-English speakers- how to use the life jackets.
Jessop was finally ordered to get into Lifeboat 16 as the ship began to rip into two. Once in the lifeboat, she and a small group of passengers floated in the freezing Atlantic for hours.
The following day, frozen and scared, Jessop and the rest of Lifeboat 16 were rescued by the RMS Carpathia.
Jessop was one of 706 survivors of the 2240 souls on board.
She again returned to Southampton after the Titanic disaster.
She lived through the Olympic collision.
She survived the Titanic sinking.
And she surprisingly opted to return to her job at sea.
Perhaps she shouldn't have.
3.
She is one of the best-selling cultures in the world.
She has written more than 720 novels.
Some sources say she has sold over 750 million books - other sources estimate the number is above a billion.
Yet, you may not know her name.
Barbara Cartland was born in 1901 and died in 2000.
But her writing career spanned from 1925 until her death.
Cartland is primarily known for writing romance novels, which, if this is not your genre, you may not recognize her name.
Cartland also appeared frequently on TV during her heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, and Princess Diana was said to be a fan and frequent reader of her work.
But Cartland isn't remembered for her TV appearances, intricate plots, or complicated characters.
She is remembered for her stamina and prolific output.
The Takeaway
So what do the Irish potato famine, a nurse who survived maritime disasters, and a romance novelist have in common?
All are examples and reminders of skills that creatives should be practicing.
They each remind us that we should 'mind the GAP.'
If you're unfamiliar with the phrase 'mind the gap,' it is an instruction echoed on Underground transportation in the UK.
The phrase reminds passengers to be careful when leaving the train and stepping on the platform.
The gap is that space between the train and the platform - a dangerous void if you fall into it - so passengers are constantly told to 'mind the gap.'
But this is excellent advice for creatives, too.
But this GAP is an acronym.
Simple letters representing simple advice.
Give. Appreciate. Practice.
Let me explain.
So, as the world tried to come to Ireland's aid during the Great Hunger, it was a small group with a relatively small donation that was surprising.
The Choctaw Nation took up a donation and collected what would be $5000 in today's money.
But these native Americans had recently suffered and endured their own devastation.
Many members had recently arrived in Oklahoma after enduring the Trail of Tears only a few years prior - a series of forced marches that moved them from their homeland to a new area.
These forced marches ended with 3000 deaths and left members suffering in a new land.
Yet, amid their own hardships, food insecurity, and tragedy, the Choctaw Nation collected money to help the Irish.
There was no connection to the Irish other than both groups faced enormous struggles, and the members had a desire to help others.
The donation was sent to Midleton in County Cork.
Years later, in 2017, the residents of Midleton recognized the Choctaw's kindness and erected a twenty-foot stainless steel statue of feathers arranged in a circle.
The statue is known as 'Kindred Spirits.'
Irish President Mary Robinson also visited the Choctaw Nation in 2017 to thank them and reestablish a connection with the tribe.
In 2018, the Irish Prime Minister visited and established yearly scholarships for Choctaw students to study in Ireland.
In 2020, the kindness continued.
That year, many native tribes were hit hard by COVID-19, and the Irish people made a 'sizable donation' to help.
The donation was explicitly made to 'pay it forward' - recognizing the Choctaw's generosity decades earlier.
Chief Gary Batton said, "We have become kindred spirits with the Irish…sharing our cultures makes the world grow smaller."
Wise words, always.
***
Most people wouldn't have returned to work on the sea after Jessop's experiences.
But Violet Jessop returned to work as a nurse for the British Red Cross during World War I.
Jessop went to work on the HMS Britannic.
And on November 21, 1916, the HMHS Britannic, the sister ship of the Olympic and the Titanic, also met with tragedy.
The Britannic struck a German mine, and the converted hospital ship exploded and sank in under an hour.
Jessop struggled to board a lifeboat, but the lifeboat was quickly pulled toward the Britannic's enormous propeller.
The propellor began to chop up the lifeboat just as Jessop leaped into the ocean.
It resulted in a traumatic head injury.
Now for the third time in a few short years, Jessop survived another disaster at sea.
First, the Olympic collision.
Second, the Titanic sinking.
Third, the Britannic explosion.
And yet, in 1920, Jessop again returned to the sea to finish her career.
***
And Barbara Cartland, the Queen of Romance, said she was often in debt during her career despite the output of words.
Today, many would assume someone who published 720 books used AI to 'help' write that number of volumes.
But Cartland had a constant practice that showed her love and dedication to her craft.
She practiced her craft as a young woman and as an old woman.
She practiced her craft during peaceful times and in times of war.
She practiced her craft when it profited her and when it wasn't lucrative.
You see, Cartland had a calling.
And when you have a calling, you answer it and practice your craft, regardless of outcomes.
So, 'mind the gap' this year.
But not like the British commuters stepping off a train.
Remember, our Gap stands for Give, Appreciate, and Practice.
Give like the Choctaw Nation who offered what they could when needed, even when they struggled to do so.
Appreciate your opportunities like Violet Jessop, who returned to her job despite multiple disasters.
Practice your craft like Barbara Cartland, who wrote whether it was financially beneficial or not.
Give. Appreciate. Practice.
Simple advice for creatives, but sometimes very difficult to put into action.
Mind your GAP.
3 things before you go:
3 songs about thanks or appreciation on this Thanksgiving.
Good Day for a Good Day by Michael Franti and Spearhead: always great breezy and catchy songs from Michael Franti