Remembering a Strong Mother as His Own Life Unfolded with Robert W Norris

Robert Norris – Bob – comes from pretty strong genetic stock – large extended family whose Depression-era experiences are reminiscent of “The Grapes of Wrath”. His mother was a force before women had many rights at all: proving herself as an athlete, standing her ground as a divorced woman, getting a pilot’s license, playing the organ, confronting military leadership when she felt her son was wronged, and becoming a traveler in later life. So perhaps no surprise that Bob stood his ground as a conscientious objector, traveled in the company of other bohemians, and embraced a life in a country with very little in common with America. In this episode he talks about > Maintaining oral traditions in our digital time > The amazing woman who was his mom > “Pentimento” memories > Simpler times when little things were big deals > Being a conscientious objector > His travels with “European hippies” > Finding a place in Japan We end the episode exchanging stories about exchange students.