Over time, her vision had become her dream. The elderly woman wanted to open an outdoor craft show with participating artisans from around the country. A friend of the family owned some land in a little farming community and offered to make a small corner available for a short time.
But there was a problem. Her husband had been seriously ill for a long time, and she was devoted to his care. Her time was undependable.
A younger friend was available to help. They partnered up and the idea began to grow. Folks from around the country signed up to participate.
Then the unexpected hit and hit hard. A few local shops were in the business of buying and selling craft items and they did not take kindly to a new competitor.
The town had a little community weekly newspaper. A part-time reporter published a snide little piece on the front page. He implied a relationship between the elderly woman and the landowner going way beyond friendship. The timing was unfortunate. The husband finally succumbed and the article appeared as she sat at his deathbed.
She and I talked. “Now everyone thinks I’m a whore.”
I was especially interested in the local paper. The part-time reporter told me that it was okay to publish the piece implying a sexual relationship. After all, the woman was a public figure.
Later, a lawyer friend laughed. You can’t make a person a public figure simply by calling her a public figure.
Recent public attacks on a graduate student by a tenured professor at Marquette University in Wisconsin reminded me of the attack on my elderly friend.
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