A Young Margaret Mead

All of us have role models to emulate, people who inform our decisions in one way or another. One of those people in my life is Margaret Mead. The following is a an excerpt from a monologue, in the persona of a young Margaret, spoken at a "Women in History" presentation:

I am Margaret Mead. I lived during the first 3 quarters of the 20th Century - 1901 to 1978 when I died of cancer. I am here with you today as a 23 year old graduate student about to set off to the south Pacific to do field research.

The results of this, my first study - on biological and cultural influences on adolescent behavior, will be published as “Coming of Age in Samoa”. It will be translated into virtually every language. The facts of my findings will have, of course, been disputed, as are all new images of reality.

In my lifetime, I will have published 44 books and will have written over 1000 articles - including those steamy monthly articles in Redbook. I will be a Counselor to American Society - on family related issues - the decline of the extended family role - the isolation people feel by living in cities, and the generation gap.

I want a family, yes.

I want a career, too. I will spend most of this in some capacity or other with the Museum of Natural History. I will be part of creating groundwork for solving major problems which keep people from living fully.

I was born into the 20th century, a time when there was a dawning of a new consciousness about humanity on this planet of ours. If I contribute nothing else, I hope I give people the opportunity to think about this radical - metamorphical - change in consciousness that is occurring.

I am grateful that I live life fully. I am grateful that I live at this particular very difficult, very dangerous, and very crucial period in human history.

I only hope that you might experience my experience - I cherish the life of this world - all of it - in all its diversity, possibility and ongoing change.
I'm sure these are mammoth shoes to fill, if I wanted to be just like her. This is not the purpose of a role model. The purpose of a role model is to be a guide on the journey, a partner in purpose, an inspiration.

Who are your role models for today's research of human consciousness?