I haven’t updated my website in more than 3 years. Once I got it set up, I didn’t want to be bothered with maintaining it. Yet, I do write. I write in a journal almost every day. Not on the computer, but in a paper journal, with a pen. Some people take naturally to writing a blog, others don’t. I’m in the latter group. I just feel funny sharing what’s on my mind with other people. I have several volumes of journals on my bookshelves. Most of what’s in them is pretty tepid, but I think I’ll leave instructions that they be burned when I die.

But I digress.

Thanks to Garrison Keillor, who spoke about Margaret Sanger on today’s episode of the The Writer’s Almanac.

Margaret Sanger was born on this day (September 14th) in 1879. Margaret coined the term “birth control” and founded the American Birth Control League, which eventually became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Margaret was trained as a nurse and no doubt became an activist for birth control in her early years after seeing what her own mother went through. Margaret’s mother was pregnant an astounding 18 times over 22 years before dying at age 49 or 50. Margaret was the sixth of 11 surviving children.

So, here’s to Margaret Sanger, who saved the lives of millions of women through the simple and logical practices of birth control.