My Life on the Road - 1

For the majority of her life, Gloria Steinem spent her days on the road, which is what her book is centered around. This is where she learned a great deal about herself and the impact that she can have on society. One of the most profound revelations she had while traveling was learning the power of listening. By listening to people along the way she realized that there was an audience that would hear her spread feminist ideas which ultimately sparked Ms. Magazine. She wants us to listen to her stories so that we can understand the value of being a good listener. The way she puts it is that “one of the simplest paths to deep change is for the less powerful to speak as much as they listen, and for the more powerful to listen as much as they speak.”

Steinem wants us to read her book to understand her journey on the road. She wants us to indulge in her adventures and take part in her growth from exposure to diverse people and situations along the way. Her second goal in writing this book is to encourage us to travel more. She believes that by spending significant time on the road we can have unique encounters that can be life-changing. Gloria says that the road teaches us to live in the present. In doing so, we will have a greater understanding of the world we live in and our place in it.