Meet Lori Olson White, age 46, an American expat originally from Minnesota and Texas. Most recently she lived in Saudi Arabia for five years and is currently residing in Australia. She is mother, a writer and an adventure seeker who has a passion for empowering young women. I met Lori through the Linked-In social network and knew she would be a fantastic person to interview for Girls Can’t WHAT?
GCW: Lori, what is your main passion and describe when you first became interested in it.
Lori: My passion is telling the seemingly little stories which have surprisingly big implications. I think I have always had this passion. I knew from an early age I would be a writer and story teller. As for my love of the little stories – hehe who knows! I do know, however, I wrote my first book at 11. My parents brought it to an author friend of theirs who graciously had it “published” at a local print shop. I still have that book as well as the first check I ever earned for writing – $2.18 USD!
GCW: Have you ever been injured or encountered any setbacks while pursuing your dream?
Lori: A few years ago I had corrective eye surgery and as a result ended up with a condition called Recurrent Corneal Erosion. Basically, the outer layer of my cornea adheres to the inside of my eyelid every so often during the night. When I wake up and try to open my eye, that outer layer peels off. And yes, it is as painful as it sounds! Each time it happens, I think about not being able to see and it terrifies me – as a person and as someone who lives and breathes the written word. On the positive side, the condition has taught me to be thankful for things I used to take for granted – like opening my eyes on the morning. As far as setbacks – I learned to deal with rejection and setbacks years ago and rarely frame them in those terms anymore.
GCW: What is your favorite tool or piece of equipment?
Lori: My Nikon Cool Walker. It’s a nifty little gadget that stores all my digital photographs. I bought it several years ago after a near disaster in Athens when a guy at the local camera shop accidentally erased the 400 or so photos on my memory card. For two days I frantically recaptured and reframed the lost photos and when I got home to Saudi, I bought the Cool Walker. It is my constant companion.
GCW: Do you have a favorite event or memory?
Lori: My favorite events and memories all have to do with family – like staying up all night with my grandma listening to her tell stories of her childhood, how she and Grandpa met and their life together; seeing the smile on my son’s face each time he hits the ice to play hockey; talking politics and social responsibility with my daughter and knowing she’s grown up to be an amazing woman; and falling in love with my husband over emails and, now, years later, rereading them together. I’ve trained myself to look for and remember the good in every experience, so even the darkest days hold the potential for good memories.
GCW: Your outlook on life and your love for your family are beautiful. What are some of the highlights of your career?
Lori: Every time someone tells me something I wrote touched them is a highlight. Back in 1999, I wrote a book about a school explosion in New London, Texas. Mine was the first book to document the event and collect the stories – even tho the explosion occurred in 1937. At one of the book signings, an elderly man came up to the table carrying a stack of books for me to autograph. There were tears in his eyes as he told me he’d bought a copy for each of his kids and grandkids. He’d never told them about the disaster – it had been too painful – but thanks to my book, he thought he was ready to talk. Touching people, telling the stories they can’t tell themselves – that’s the best part of my job.
GCW: That does make it rewarding. What challenges have you faced as a female in this area and how did you handle them?
Lori: Thinking like a man in order to write from a male perspective is always a challenge, but I’ve found that research – lots and lots of research – helps.
GCW: Have you ever been told you “can’t” because you are a girl? What did you do about it?
Lori: My dad was a feminist so, growing up, I was never told I couldn’t do something because I was a girl. That said, as an adult I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years, and in that culture, can’t was an automatic response to just about any request from a woman. My response was to go ahead and do it anyway. My favorite example is getting through the red tape for my husband’s motorcycle license. I’d been told women weren’t allowed into the issuing government center, but decided to have a go at it anyway. I’d been told the process would take two weeks – it took me seven – but I eventually got it done! Perseverance, stubbornness, a firm but calm resolve and a ready smile seem to make the impossible possible in any culture.
GCW: That is a fantastic story. What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?
Lori: Rebuilding my life and the lives of my children after an abusive marriage.
GCW: How would you encourage other girls who are interested in writing?
Lori: Writers write – it’s as simple as that. I mentor a lot of young writers and always give them the same advise – if you want to be a writer, you need to start writing. Don’t wait until you’ve memorized all the grammar rules, talk like a thesaurus and understand the symbolism of Moby Dick. Start writing today, at the place you are now. Write about what you know, what you feel, what piques your curiosity. Even if you never see your name on the cover of a book, if you never cash a check for something you write, if you write with passion, you are a writer.
GCW: What other interests do you have?
Lori: I am an unapologetic experience collector! I love trying new things, seeing new places, meeting new people and grappling with new ideas. Travel is a life-long interest, and one of the reasons I love being an expat – I’ve had the opportunity to experience a good chunk of the world and experience cultures vastly different from my culture of origin. Other interests – reading, photography, talking, knitting, volunteering, peace initiatives, women’s rights, feminism and community building through dialogue.
