The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
DECEMBER 18, 1953
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NEW YORK, Thursday—Sunday morning I went off to Indianapolis and spoke that night on the United Nations at a meeting sponsored by the YMCA which was a very successful meeting and well attended. While I had anticipated that I might find a little antagonism to the whole idea of the U.N. in that area of the country, I found instead a great deal of interest. Mr. Elmo Roper's poll should have prepared me for this for he says 71 percent of our people are for the U.N.
The next morning Mr. Holland and his wife drove me to South Bend, Indiana, which is a drive of about 155 miles. It was snowing when we started but it cleared up on the way and I enjoyed the drive very much. There are lovely farms in Indiana and the villages and small towns were all decorated for Christmas.
I think if anything they go in for more elaborate decorations in that part of the United States than we do in New York State. Reindeer seem to be charging across the streets hung by wire, lights everywhere and trees all beautifully decorated with colored balls and tinsel, and life-size figures in the creches outside churches and town halls. In one place even the Wise Men were approaching with a camel, and all lifesize!
I really felt very enthusiastic about all these decorations and when I walked into my hotel in South Bend, I found the most enormous Christmas tree right in the center of the lobby. There is no doubt about it, the Christmas spirit is abroad in the Middle West.
I spoke in the afternoon to one adult education group of the University of Indiana extension service, then in the evening I spoke on the U.N. at a meeting sponsored by the United Church Women.
After the evening meeting I met a group of the faculty in one of the houses before going to my train. This was a very pleasant interlude and everything went very well from then on. I got off the train in Cleveland at dawn and took a plane, so I was in New York by noon.
People everywhere were most kind and everyone took so much trouble about my accommodations for my return trip that I felt rather guilty about it but nevertheless I am very glad to be home again.
There is a pamphlet which has come to me which might interest my readers. It is written by Halbert L. Dunn, M.D., of Washington, D.C., on what he calls "Creative Destiny," a philosophy of social organization for civilized man based upon his creative genius and a process of day-to-day adjustment. He says: "The requirements for opening the vistas of a creative destiny for mankind are: dedication to its spiritual idealism, and a mechanism for day-by-day adjustment."
I do not think I understand completely how these day-by-day adjustments are to be made but perhaps the pamphlet should be read by more people since it points out the dangers we are in and just facing those dangers may lead us to make some adjustments.
E. R.
(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)
About this document
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, December 18, 1953
Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007
Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project
Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
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