Hoot hoot

I read the book Florence Nightingale: The Making of an Icon a couple years ago, and what I remember most about it is this drawing, and how one of the highlights, if not THE highlight, of Florence Nightingale's personal life was when she got a little owl.

She named it Athena and kept it with her at all times, carrying it around places in the pockets of her skirts, and washing it occasionally with sand. Is there anything more freaking cute than that drawing of the little owl? And also the fact that Florence's older sister Parthenope was so inspired by Florence and the owl's relationship that she drew this lovely drawing?

I picked up the biography because I'd read a review about what a crazy, madcap page turner it was (seriously). That and the obvious "But who was Florence Nightingale, really?" question led me down into the basement of the Strand to find a copy. Well, it turned out not to be a madcap page turner (shocking, I know). But it wasn't exactly boring, either. Old Flo was a huge celebrity nurse in her time (a what?), a trailblazing feminist, and a shrewd businesswoman in her way. She was also simply tireless.

I guess I've been thinking about her recently because my sister said something to me about how maybe I shouldn't be so nice to everyone all the time. I don't know: certainly there are times when being nice to people does not produce the results you would hope for, but that's not the only reason to be nice. I'm sure there were soldiers in the Crimean war who Florence would rather not have tended to. I'm also sure, though, that she probably felt a lot better when she went and hung out with her little owl for a while. Yes, what I'm saying is, it's not such a bad idea to occasionally ask oneself, "What Would Florence Do?"