Obstacles are made to be overcome

All of us face obstacles in our lives. Some are self imposed and some come along when we least expect it. Gertrude Bell was an amazing woman who lived from the mid 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. She is most well known for her influential role in the birth of the country of Iraq in the early 20th century.

She was a privileged British citizen and one of the first women to attend Oxford. Although she wanted to marry, nobody proposed because she was too outspoken and too independent for what was expected of women of that time. Her father was a great influence in her life and I was surprised by how supportive he was of her desire to live a life of true adventure. He financed her world travels, archaeological exploration and mountain climbing expeditions. She wrote a number of books that also generated income for herself. Mind you, she was climbing the Alps during a time when women were not allowed to vote. What impressed me the most about her was her curiosity and how she tackled obstacles head on.

For some odd reason, she became very interested in the Middle East. She travelled by herself in the desert with a few servants and guides, sleeping in tents, travelling by camel and living the life of a true adventurer. Prior to heading out into the desert, she immersed herself in the history of the land as well as learning to speak Arabic fluently. No challenge was too great for her. She truly believed that obstacles were made to be overcome. What is a mystery to me was her ability to connect with people in a way that they forgot that she was a woman. The men of the desert did not allow their women to eat in the same room with them. Somehow these rules did not apply to Gertrude. She was treated by most men whether Arab or British as an equal.