Laura Bush: A Second Look at the First Lady (page 2 of 3)

More on:

• First Ladies

Not Exactly a "Desperate Housewife"

To her critics, Laura Bush's solid and consistent behavior translates as dull, boring and inconsequential. She's been called a Stepford wife, obedient and risk averse. But after 9/11, some began to see her true value. Laura Bush had become the "nurturer-in-chief," offering the kind of compassion and rhetoric to the 9/11 families -- and the country -- that you can't fake. She emerged from that tragedy as a true believer in the fight against terrorism. But her war would be waged in the classroom.

She jump-started an educational reform program in Afghanistan that would allow women to attend school for the first time. "Women were not empowered, and the result was that one-half of the population couldn't contribute to society," she says. "We are building an American school in Kabul, where women teachers can be trained and have a safe place to live ... a teachers institute, so they can go back to their provinces and teach."

Laura Bush's commitment to education and literacy has gone well beyond chairing the occasional benefit fund-raiser, or offering photo ops as she tours schools. "My whole life I've been interested in education and children. I've done a lot of work with teaching recruitment organizations, like Troops to Teachers and Teach for America. I'd like to encourage people to choose teaching as a career because it's so important." She taught underprivileged kids in Austin, where she was a librarian, and is currently the honorary chairperson of UNESCO's Decade for Literacy. Her daughter Jenna, a recent graduate of the University of Texas, has followed in her mother's footsteps and is teaching at a Washington, D.C., public school.

Growing up an only child in Midland and having no interest in sports, Laura Bush turned to books for pure joy and entertainment. She had plenty of friends, and still sees some who date back to her days in the Brownies. But books offered a special joy. Her close friend Penny Royall, who moved to Midland in the mid-'70s, says that Laura Bush's love of literature accounts for her thoughtful and intelligent persona. "Being so well-read has enriched her life as well as the country."

I try to fill in the blanks about Laura Bush's childhood. No siblings to fight with, no competition among girls for the latest pair of Prada shoes, no "alpha girl" complexes. Just hanging out, having fun, watching a school football game, and feeling loved by her parents and friends. Not exactly the groundwork for becoming a "desperate housewife."

If you want to go deep in the heart of Texas, forget Dallas, Houston or Austin. Go to Midland, where trees struggle to grow, and dusty roads and sagebrush dance with the wind. Penny Royall says she loves Midland, even though at first she missed the beautiful trees, mountains and lakes of North Carolina, where she was born. "The environment is harsh -- that's why you need each other, that's why we turn to each other. I made lasting friendships during my 12 years there." Royall says that loyalty is one of the characteristics of her friendship with Laura Bush. "She was supportive during my divorce. She doesn't give a lot of advice ... she's a wonderful listener and reflector. She acts in ways that tell us that she loves us. They could have anyone in the world to dinner, to watch a movie, to go for a walk. Over and over they choose their old friends. They're not about status seeking, not about prestige. They share the same characteristics -- love of family, strong faith, and long-lasting and deep friendships." Royall thinks that living in Midland shapes a person's values. "Prior to the discovery of oil, Midland was a ranching town filled with independent, self-sufficient, courageous people," she recalls. "When oil was discovered and Midland began to grow, it wasn't just West Texas ranchers anymore. People came to seek their fortune from all over. It was a frontier. In Midland, your word is your bond -- when someone says I agree to do this for X amount of money, that's all you need."

• See all Nation
• 
• See all Best of America 2005
• 

“ The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem. ”

— Theodore Rubin

See More Quotes

Sponsored Links