Finally starting to receive some feedback, so I thought I would pass along these comments and questions from a reader (thanks sister!), along with my responses. I’ll be interested to hear what you think; feel free to join in.
Meghan’s father was evil – Yes, I agree Danny is evil, but evil in a daily news sort of way, not in a Dickensian sense like Bill Sikes (Oliver Twist). Still, he has shown me nothing to believe him redeemable.
…but I was relieved she lost her baby – gotta agree here too. At fifteen and without a reliable support system, raising a child on her own did not seem like a recipe for success.
However…did not believe that the hospital would accept a friend as an authorized person concerning a patient – I do agree that the hospital admittance thing , even for the sixties, was admittedly facile, and a “friend” would have no legal standing. However, if Meghan refused to provide the name of a parent or legal guardian, in their absence compassionate care would be required in any event.
Meghan seems too young to be striking out on her own – Here I’ll have to politely disagree. She’s fifteen, and has been largely on her own for her whole life. It’s 1967, the summer of love and hitchhiking is commonplace. Given what I know about her, I’m not surprised that she would maximize the sense of adventure, and minimize the threat. In 2024 maybe less likely (although there are still plenty of teenagers taking to the streets to escape abusive situations), but in 1967 the world was younger, and we were perhaps a little more innocent.
Still troubled that Triese did not support her more over the years and now…as a surrogate mom – Triese, ahh Triese, walking the knife edge between friendship and responsibility. She could have been a hero, but like most of us fell shy of the mark. Nonetheless, she did what she thought she could, consistent with her sense of self.
So now…it’s your turn. Thoughts? Comments? Let’s keep the conversation going…
