Curiosity Gets a Bum Rap . . .

It Does Not Kill the Cat!

Did you know that in order to have a healthy mind, you need to be curious? It’s as important to mental health as proper nutrition is to physical health. Curiosity is mind-fuel. It stimulates cognitive and emotional growth. Learning and experiencing new stuff make your brain function better, sharpens your memory, and increases your creativity! The best way to overcome challenges and foster resilience is to nurture a curious mindset.

My extraordinary friend, Jeane Slone’s curiosity led her on a fascinating journey of discovery, ignited by a gift of a laptop and her mother’s thick blue, tattered scrapbook. Soon, Jeane forgot that selling her business meant she retired and was ‘supposed to’ kick back and relax.

Jeane grew up knowing that both her parents served in WWII, but they never shared their stories. Her mom’s career as a colonel’s admin was cut short when her pregnancy was discovered. Mom spent the rest of the war wistfully clipping news about women in service. Fifty years later, when Jeane was flipping through her mom’s enormous scrapbook, a 2-inch clipping about the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) caught her eye. That small piece of paper sparked her curiosity and started her next career. Jeane set out to learn everything about women’s roles in WWII, from building ships to flying bombers, being a reporter, a spy, and how the experiences of combat nurses varied because of their race.

New connections

Jeane’s first discovery was that her neighbor, Florence Wheeler, 87, a retired home economics teacher, was a former WASP. With Florence’s help, Jeane interviewed six WASP pilots in their 80s during a bustling, crowded local veterans gathering. She learned that 1,074 brave women flew over seventy-seven different types of planes within the U.S., and sadly, thirty-eight of them died in service. Jeane quickly joined the Healdsburg Literary Guild and the Pacific Coast Air Museum to learn more. Her passion to understand what it felt like to be ‘Rosie the Riveter’ inspired her to participate in a Rosie the Riveter Look-Alike contest.

New Adventures

Jeane’s curiosity and desire for historical accuracy gave her the courage to don a helmet and goggles and climb into an 89-year-old 1941 Stearman Jenny. She was surprised when loop-de-loops and upside-down acrobatics became part of the adventure. The next trip was on a 1918 fabric-and-wood open cockpit Curtiss Jenny. Intrepid Jeane wanted to experience what it was like to fly in an open cockpit, soaring into the clouds with the wind across her face. She felt free as a bird, although the clack, clack, clacking sound of the old plane reminded her that this vintage bird was feeling its age! Jeane gained firsthand understanding of the grit and drive required by these brave women pilots. Next up, a girl has to skydive to know what it feels like to be dropped behind enemy lines as a spy, right?

New Light

Thanks to Jeane, a new perspective shines on the overlooked women of the 1940s who played a vital role in America's involvement in WWII. Click Here to learn more about She Built Ships, She Flew Bombers, She was an American Spy, She was a WWII Photographer Behind Enemy Lines, and She was an American Combat Nurse during WWII.

Click Here to enjoy Jeane’s blog. Today, in her early 70s, since Jeane’s voice difficulties prevent her from giving lectures and presentations, she sells local authors’ books at the weekly farmer’s market. Why? Because she occasionally gets to hear a fascinating story, and who knows? Maybe the next one will spark another irresistible quest of discovery.

Curiosity not only improves our lives; it also connects us, enriches our communities, and uncovers new paths. It’s a superpower waiting to be nurtured.

Take that risk!

Embrace your curious spirit and go on an adventure!