Carol Maher spoke with the Missouri on Mic team at the Centralia Public Library in November. She’s newly retired after a long career in education, including 20 years as a school superintendent. Now, she’s enjoying small town life in her farmhouse between Hallsville and Centralia.
Missouri on Mic is an oral history and journalism project documenting stories from around the state.
Carol Maher: I was very surprised at the election outcome. Trump did a lot, lot better than a lot of people thought he would, which I think is very much a microscope of the country. Because I'm the age that I am, I am happy to live in my little bubble. Like I told my friends in Book Club, I'm happy to live in my little bubble on my little farm.
I'm glad I'm not working, because I don't want to be part of the political conversation. You know, I just, I find that that divides people.
Most of my social, and I don’t have a lot, but most of my social gatherings or meetings, or going out to dinner, whatever – we do not discuss politics. We just don’t. People end up getting their feelings hurt, they get mad, it's just something we don’t discuss. It’s the old adage: You don’t talk about politics or religion. So we don’t!
I would like to say that I have hidden hopes for the country. But I guess I'm ... just separating myself from all that. You know, I just want to, I just want to live in my own little comforting world.
But, but, not everybody in the country can live in a little bubble. So, I’m happy for them to, for them to run things and I’m happy that I am separated now.
I would like to say that I have hidden hopes for the country, but I guess I'm, you know, if I admit to it, I'm just separating myself from all that. You know, I just want to, I just want to live in my own little comforting world.
Anna Colletto: Have you always been that way? Or is that a new change?
Carol Maher: No, I haven't always been that way. I, I tend to try to, or I did — I'm trying to get over this now — I tend to try to take over and, and I was a boss for a long time, and so that came naturally to me. And I've been working now, since I've been retired for two years, I've been working not to do that.
I've been working not to do that, to not take over, and to let other people ... You know, when I decided it was time to retire, it was because, actually, my way of doing things is no longer the the the preferred way. Lots of technology ... like I told you when I sat down here, I'd rather, I'd rather talk face to face than on Zoom or on whatever.
So I, that's been something that I've tried to live with and try not to think that it's all up to me to run whatever I'm doing. So.
Anna Colletto: Has that mindset shift brought you more peace?
Carol Maher: Yes, yes, not having to feel that I'm responsible for everything that is going on. Yes, it has brought me more peace.
