Thursday; August 8
I have been reading a biography by Jackie Speier entitled, “Undaunted: Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back ” that describes her incredible journey from the jungles of Guyana to Washington D.C. and beyond. If you aren’t familiar with her story, Speier was part of Leo Ryan’s congressional investigative team that went to Jonestown, Guyana to check on Jim Jones and the People’s Temple. On November 18, 1978 Ryan’s team was gunned down as they prepared to come back to the United States while Jones led his faithful in a mass suicide (murder). Speier was shot multiple times and after almost a full day in the sweltering jungle heat was within hours of dying. Fortunately medical help arrived in time to save Speier and she began her long recovery. Not only did she have to regain her physical strength, she also had to rebuild her shattered life and dreams. How did she do it? In a sense, she willed herself to get on with her life. As she recounts