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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kookalouris" data-source="post: 4244164" data-attributes="member: 23872">More on SamMore on Sam...Saddened by Maya's loss, but honestly delighted to keep Sam in the family, the Ripleys set about raising their odd cousin.  Martha Ripley was especially delighted, having been blessed with nothing but boys, to have the chance to raise a typical little girl.Within a few years, Martha had the loving grace to admit that Sam wasn't going to be ~typically~ anything, especially lady-like.  Sam's virtues were more typically masculine, directness, honesty, courage, optimism.  While capable of deliberate feminine charm, Sam's general nature was to be exactly who she was.As she grew, Sam loved life on the farm but could not fully articulate a sense of incompleteness.  The idea of being able to explore all of the mysterious world appealed to her and the sheer grace and freedom of the air seemed to embody all that she was missing.She asked her oldest brother, John Jr. a WWI vet pilot, to give her lessons in his old Jenny, now a crop duster.  He refused.  Sam simply stated that she would learn to fly if she had to spend all of her money on lessons, even if she had to sneak out to the lessons, even if she then had to dress up as a young man (not all schools allowed women).  Otherwise, she would simply 'date' as many cocky flyboys as lessons (flying or 'otherwise') might take, from Kansas to the other side of the world, if need be.Knowing Sam's determination and her general penchant for honesty, that last threat removed ALL obstacles to John's reluctance, whatever the truth might have been.Surprisingly, Sam turned out to be a truly gifted pilot and actually helped her family more profitably with the crop dusting than chores on the farm.  Together two pilots, brother and sister, made the dusting such a valid concern, they were able to afford a new plane.  Sam got John's hand-me-down Army Surplus Jenny.With two pilots and planes, what had been a crop-dusting business could be an air show.  And so the two Ripleys became local barnstormers and local heroes.But it soon became apparent to Sam that they would remain local heroes if only due to John's safe and conservative maneuvers.  What would get Sam a real plane and freedom would be more money.  And what would bring more money was more crowds.  And what would bring more crowds would be more apparent danger.She quickly designed a more risky and flashy routine and suggested it to Junior, who absolutely forbade such a near-suicidal show.  Sam smiled and nodded which Junior mistakenly assumed was agreement.Come the next show, Sam simply took her Jenny out of the established routine and into a dizzying loop with additional jinking and rolls thrown in.  The Jenny predictably stalled, a wing spar snapped, and the plane began to plummet to the ground.  At the last moment, Sam managed to right the plane and landed to a cheering crowd.  She had already felt an exhilaration beyond words, as she had offered herself to Heaven and been given back the Earth as her gift.Livid, Junior and the rest of family demanded that Sam ground herself and return to the farm.  She gently reminded them that the plane was hers as part of her compensation and she was of legal age (barely, but still).  Both were obvious to the family but the fact that the usually agreeable Sam would actually invoke her rights (property and self) over the well-meaning family was still a shock.Ultimately reacting just as firmly, the family did not reject her but told her she could not stay at the farm until she gave up the plane.  Heart-broken but determined, Sam left the farm to an uncertain future...I will write the last part of Sam's origin soon.Notes:None, really.  Sam's happy childhood is the most mundane thing about her.Gerry</blockquote>

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