Replay – Meet Sally Cronin : The Black Sheep.

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Sue Vincent

As we approach Christmas, I thought it would be a nice idea to look back at some of the guests who have shared the page with me this year. All of them are authors and with Christmas coming up, books make perfect gifts….

In April Sally Cronin was my guest. Sally has recently published a new book, Tales from the Garden, revealing the magical life that happens amongst the flowers when you are not looking.

Tales From The Garden by [Cronin, Sally]

Many will already know Sally through Smorgasbord as one of the most supportive of bloggers, where she generously hosts writers, musicians and artists of all kinds, as well as sharing her own knowledge and humour.

Like many, I imagine, I had done little more than read her blog and glance at her bio before I first clicked the ‘follow’ button. It was initially the variety of the content that had attracted my attention, after all. Some few facts registered and stuck, but it was only in reading the blog itself that these facts took on a three dimensional quality and Sally herself became a person rather than just an avatar on a screen.

51vOJnbK+7L._UY250_Even then, it was not until Sally invited me to be a guest on Smorgasbord that I actually took the time to look her up… and found an intriguing history and a number of books that Sally herself seldom mentions. They range from the memoirs of her dog, Sam… bound to be a winner with me… through nutrition and health to media and fiction. I knew I would like this woman when I came across a men’s health book entitled, “Forget the Viagra … Pass Me a Carrot!”

51X6tXcHZRL._UY250_
Further reading took me to a great article Sally had written for The Story Reading Ape, where I learned a little more; so I was delighted when she agreed to write as a guest for the Daily Echo too. I have always had a fondness for Black Sheep….

The Black Sheep of the Family – Sally Cronin April 2015.

The expression Black Sheep has been in use since the 18th century in England. It resulted from the rare occurrence in a flock of sheep when a black lamb would be born. In sheep, a white fleece is the result of a dominant gene, but occasionally a recessive gene present in a white ewe and a white ram will produce a black fleeced offspring.

black sheep

Image source: Wikipedia

Over time the expression black sheep became widely used to describe an odd or even disreputable member of a group and in particular within a family. You often would read tales of the black sheep of the family being exiled to the colonies or even just ostracised from a community for criminal, anti-social behaviour or for being physically or mentally impaired.

Today the expression is not widely used but you will still find that within families, groups, societies and even cultures there will be a handful of people who stand out from the crowd in one form or another. Many are applauded for this different approach to the norm and others unfortunately are still ostracised and kept at a distance as if they have some contagious disease.

I began life as a little black lamb!

We travelled around a great deal when I was a child and I ended up going to several schools in different countries or parts of the UK before I was 12 years old. This in itself meant that I was quite used to being slightly different from the other children in my class, usually because the way that I talked. I would remedy this pretty quickly by adopting the local accent within a very short period of time and could switch between broad Lancashire, Afrikaans and BBC English at the drop of a hat.

Unfortunately there were other issues that affected acceptance into the various groups during the school years. In the 60s it was unusual for a child to have lived in Sri Lanka, Malta and South Africa by the age of 12 and the experience of living in different cultures and learning foreign languages made me more mature for my age. I soon learned however that other children thought I was fantasizing about the adventures I had experienced in my travels and would avoid getting too friendly. I found myself hanging out with a handful of others who were also apparently a little odd, which to be honest was a lot more fun.

It was not just the peer acceptance that caused issues. Physically I grew very tall for my age. I loved ballet but by the time I was ten I was a foot taller than my contemporaries… The boys in the class would dread it when it was their time to partner me and you have no idea how many would fake a limp and have to sit a dance out! Boys tend to only experience a growth spurt in their late teens, so going to the youth club Saturday dance also resulted in the same problem as in ballet class. Short 14 year old boys do not need the extra angst of dancing with a six footer!

To counteract this I became the class comedian and I also developed what my mother termed a smart mouth. If I was going to stand out from the crowd then so be it.

I started working every weekend and school holiday at age 14. Not only did I earn good money, but I also worked with adults a great deal older than me. This only emphasised the differences with my school friends who relied on pocket money and socialising with friends their own age. At age16 I was dating guys in their 20s partly because they were fully grown and were taller than I was!

I then dropped the bombshell. After my O’levels I announced that I wanted to be a singer and actress not the anticipated nurse, teacher or secretary.

This is when the suggestion that I was the black lamb of the family came up in the detailed discussion I had on this subject with both my parents. To be fair I know that both my mother and father had been subjected to my unorthodox behaviour and view on life by this time and their comments and actions were based on their desire to see me develop a more ‘normal’ relationship with society. I had recently forsaken organised religion which had caused a bit of a stir and had also arrived home one Saturday morning with a platinum blonde ‘Marilyn Monroe’ hair do!

My mother particularly felt that I had become the ‘odd one out’ and that my future would not be easy because of my tendency to think and behave so differently. To that end they insisted that I enrol in secretarial college as my two sisters had done and that I then get a job until such time as I was old enough to fully support myself or hopefully got married!

There was no funding anyway to send me to drama school and going to college for that year proved to be an excellent option as I have always had those skills to fall back on. The fact that I did not go on to pursue my dreams of Hollywood stardom was entirely down to my own future decisions and actions.

Going forward I did little to discourage the belief that I was destined to be different from the norm. At 20 years old I married. Four turbulent years later I left my husband and eventually three years after that, I managed to get a divorce. This was 1977 and divorce in those days was still considered to be unacceptable in certain quarters. There were compelling reasons but none that seemed to mitigate the public disgrace attached to the situation. This resulted in my relocating to the depths of the Welsh mountains with the intention of isolating myself and committed to conforming more to the dictates of society.

sally wedding day 1980

Sally and David

I married again at age 27 and of course it was considered a bit unconventional. We met when David stayed as a guest in the hotel where I was assistant manager. We got engaged on our first date and married five weeks later. You can imagine that conversation when I rang home and told my parents. However, they met my future husband and were very pleasantly surprised! They travelled all the way up to North Wales for our small registry office wedding and my husband’s parents travelled from Ireland. I think that my mother and father were relieved that someone else would now be responsible for keeping me in line! There were a few mutters about how long it might last but I think that after 35 years that is now safely behind us!

I guess I still had this feeling in the back of my mind that being unconventional, speaking my mind, taking actions that questioned the status quo and putting myself into unusual situations set me aside from the crowd. However, events were to show me that in fact even a black sheep has a place and a role to play in society and the lives of others.

When we married in November of 1980 we lived in holiday flat that was vacant for the winter. The landlady and her husband were sheep farmers and their flock roamed the mountain side of Cader Idris in Snowdonia. We wanted to save money towards buying a house and as I had given up my full time job, I approached our landlady and asked if perhaps I might help out with the sheep in exchange for the rent we were paying.

We had known each other for a while and she was more used to seeing me in a long dress showing guests into the dining room at the hotel. I think she was taken aback but agreed to give me a trial. I went off and bought the right gear and spent the next six months going up and down Cader daily to help feed the sheep and carry out other shepherding duties through the winter and into lambing.

The snow arrived and the hills were covered in white and we still needed to locate the flock to feed them as the grass disappeared under several inches and then feet of snow. And, this brings me to the point of this story.

There was one black sheep in the flock. An old ewe that was well passed lambing herself but as the matriarch she was always in the midst of her white fleeced family. A flock that we would have not been able to see in the snow without her. She was a beacon on the hillside and even though the sheepdogs would have eventually found the sheep, she enabled them to be located from a long way off.

Seeing that flock surrounding and keeping very close to that old black ewe was a defining moment for me. It made me realise that thinking or acting differently from the rest of the crowd is only harmful if it hurts you or others. That standing out from those around you can be important and necessary from time to time and that you should never allow anyone to label you negatively for it. I have met and worked with many people over the years, who felt it was unacceptable to stand out from others in their environment by following their own path, and have felt deep unhappiness because of it. Nobody should be made to feel that way.

In the last 35 years I have tried to be true to who I am. My philosophy is very simple. Everyone has something unique to bring to the table. In their personal lives and relationships and also in the working environment. Being true to yourself and using your different approach to guide others positively is simply being the best you can be.

cropped 2 for profileAbout Sally Cronin
I have been a nutritional therapist for over 18 years having studied food and its complexities to resolve my own weight issues. After 25 years in several industries this changed my lifestyle and my career. That led to writing my first book in 2002 and ten years as a radio and Internet television presenter and now as a lifestyle blogger. I love reading first and foremost, closely followed by most styles of music and then sitting at my keyboard creating my books and blog posts. I love being part of the blogging community and treasure the contacts that I have made around the world who demonstrate daily that kindness is a universal language.

Links
Books available in print and Ebook
Amazon-https://www.amazon.com/author/sallycroninbooks

Connect with Sally
Blog : https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com
LinkedIn : http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sallycronin1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sgc58
Facebook Personal : https://www.facebook.com/sally.cronin
Facebook Author Page:
https://www.facebook.com/sallygeorginacronin

Unknown's avatar

About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
This entry was posted in Blogging, Guest post, longreads, writing and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

125 Responses to Replay – Meet Sally Cronin : The Black Sheep.

  1. Rosie Amber's avatar Rosie Amber says:
    April 22, 2015 at 07:15

    Lovely to read more about Sally.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Judith Barrow's avatar judithbarrow1 says:
    April 22, 2015 at 07:24

    Thanks Sue, Sally deserved to be in the centre of the limelight for once; she helps so many people.A lovely revelation,, Sally, thank you for letting us in. x

    Like

    Reply
  5. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.'s avatar Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says:
    April 22, 2015 at 08:38

    Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
    My thanks to Sue Vincent for inviting me as a guest to talk about myself… and if you have ever felt a little out of sync with those around you…..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.'s avatar Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says:
    April 22, 2015 at 08:43

    Thanks Sue and for all the kind comments.. glad you liked the title of my men’s health book – may have to change. I had an invitation turned down for the Sunday Show by an artist’s agent who did not want him associated with Viagra! So cute. hugs Sally

    Like

    Reply
  7. Jane Hanser's avatar janeboha says:
    April 22, 2015 at 09:06

    Really beautiful story about an exceptional person.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatar The Story Reading Ape says:
    April 22, 2015 at 10:48

    Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
    One of my favourite people 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Jane Risdon's avatar Jane Risdon says:
    April 22, 2015 at 11:02

    Sally this is wonderful. I too am the black sheep in our family so I know how it feels. I also lived overseas a lot as a child and went to far too many schools, thus never really fitting in or making long term friends. I married a musician at an early age. We’re still married with a 44 year old son, so being the odd one out can work. The white sheep in the family have had divorces and other upsets, but we keep plodding on….well rocking on actually. Good luck with all you still want to achieve. Admirable life so far. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  11. islandeditions's avatar islandeditions says:
    April 22, 2015 at 11:16

    What a terrific introduction to a wonderfully supportive blogger and author! Thanks, Sue, for asking Sally Cronin to step forward into the limelight!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. masgautsen's avatar masgautsen says:
    April 22, 2015 at 11:52

    Very interesting to get to know Sally a little better and learning more about her. She really is an amazing woman!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Judy E Martin's avatar edwinasepisodes says:
    April 22, 2015 at 12:06

    It was great learning a little more about Sally. I admire her, not only for her generosity in supporting other bloggers, but for sticking to her convictions regardless of whether or not it marked her out as a ‘black sheep!’

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  14. Mira Prabhu's avatar Mira Prabhu says:
    April 22, 2015 at 12:11

    Reblogged this on mira prabhu and commented:
    Meet an especially interesting Black Sheep….Sally Cronin, interviewed here by Sue Vincent. Just so you know, Sally, via her blog Smorgasbord, “generously hosts writers, musicians and artists of all kinds, as well as sharing her own knowledge and humour..” Now read on please….

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Colleen Chesebro's avatar Silver Threading says:
    April 22, 2015 at 15:37

    How wonderful to get to know more about Sally! Thank you. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. noelleg44's avatar noelleg44 says:
    April 22, 2015 at 15:49

    What a fabulous post and a chance to know Sally more! I am like you, Sally, in that I was the tallest person in my class (male or female) until junior year in high school. That did sort of put me outside the usual social cliques but I found a group of girls to bond with, and we are still bonded! I tried ballet but was too tall and gawky!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  17. Mary Smith's avatar Mary Smith says:
    April 22, 2015 at 16:12

    Lovely post and feel I really got to know Sally. I’ve always admire black sheep.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. alibaliwalker's avatar Ali Isaac says:
    April 22, 2015 at 20:25

    What a lovely post, Sally! You have led a very interesting life. My family travelled a lot when I was a child, and just like you, I never fitted into any of the social circles, in fact I was bullied for it. Its so nice to get to know you a little more.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  20. Hugh W. Roberts's avatar Hugh's Views and News says:
    April 22, 2015 at 21:31

    This is a an absolutely wonderful post from a lady whom I’d admire very much. In fact two ladies, because I admire both Sally and Sue in the world of blogging and writing, and I look up to both so that I may follow the successful paths both have taken.

    Thank you, Sue, for a writing this wonderful tribute to Sally, and thank you Sally, for telling us a wee bit more about yourself. I would never have guessed what you have done in your life and am truly amazed by how you make me feel such a special person out of all the many fans and contacts you have.

    May I wish you both many, many, years of writing success and thank you both for the wonderful work and support you give to the world of blogging and its community.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:
    April 22, 2015 at 21:36

    What a fascinating post, Sally. Lovely to discover a little more about you. Thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  22. Let's CUT the Crap!'s avatar Let's CUT the Crap! says:
    April 22, 2015 at 21:52

    You are even more intriguing that I could have imagined, Sally. I enjoy getting to know more about you. Your background and life so far are fascinating. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  23. Clive Mullis's avatar Clive Mullis says:
    April 22, 2015 at 22:22

    Reblogged this on Random Ramblings and commented:
    Come and meet Sally.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  24. Meredith's avatar Meredith says:
    April 23, 2015 at 02:51

    Reblogged this on Covey View and commented:
    I’ve come to love Sally, even more so after reading The Black Sheep.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  25. olganm's avatar olganm says:
    April 23, 2015 at 08:01

    Thanks Sue. Nice to learn more about wonderful Sally. I had read some of the bits she’d shared herself but didn’t know about her earlier life. There would be nothing duller than a life only full of white sheep. I was also the tallest of the class until I was 14 or so. Thanks again, Sue and Sally. ♥

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  26. Nicholas C. Rossis's avatar Nicholas C. Rossis says:
    April 23, 2015 at 13:20

    What a lovely post! Many thanks for sharing, Sue. Sally is, indeed, wonderful 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  27. Suzanne Joshi's avatar Suzanne Joshi says:
    April 23, 2015 at 13:55

    Thank you, Sally, for this inspirational and interesting piece. Thank you Sue for having Sally as a guest. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  28. macjam47's avatar macjam47 says:
    April 23, 2015 at 15:58

    What a beautiful post about a Sally! It is great to be able to know this wonderful person better through this piece.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  29. Seumas Gallacher's avatar Seumas Gallacher says:
    April 24, 2015 at 16:29

    …magnificent ‘Baa—aaa—aaa-ck story! . thanks both Sue and Sally for this… and there IS a great lesson in there for any of us who feel we don’t ‘fit in’ to the ‘normal person’ category ..and by the way, the next ‘normal person’ I meet will be the first !

    cheers 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  30. Seumas Gallacher's avatar Seumas Gallacher says:
    April 24, 2015 at 16:34

    Reblogged this on Seumas Gallacher and commented:
    …this post by m’lady, Sally Cronin on m’Lady, Sue Vincent’s blog is quite deservedly getting reblogged all over the place… and I don’t intend to miss out, either! two of my dearest blogging pals… and a terrific read… if yeez read NUTHIN else this week, yeez must have a decko at this!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  31. philosophermouseofthehedge's avatar philosophermouseofthehedge says:
    April 25, 2015 at 00:41

    What a great way of looking at things. Enjoyed the post

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  33. Teagan Riordain Geneviene's avatar teagan geneviene says:
    April 25, 2015 at 15:05

    So nice to see Sally here. Hugs to you both! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  34. Vashti Q's avatar Vashti Quiroz-Vega says:
    April 27, 2015 at 18:28

    Hi Sue! It was a real treat to get to know more about Sally. Loved this post! 😀 xx

    Like

    Reply
  35. D.G.Kaye's avatar D.G.Kaye says:
    April 27, 2015 at 23:03

    Sally is certainly a fascinating woman. It’s lovely to see her here getting her well-deserved recognition. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  36. Angie's avatar Angie says:
    April 30, 2015 at 18:30

    Reblogged this on Love, Laughter, and Life and commented:
    It’s okay to stand out! Lovely story. Sally, thanks!

    Like

    Reply
  37. Angie's avatar Angie says:
    April 30, 2015 at 18:31

    What a wonderful story! Thanks for letting us hear your story, Sally! Fascinating.

    Like

    Reply
  38. Janice Wald's avatar Janice Wald says:
    May 1, 2015 at 02:39

    We all love Sally. Thank you for this backstory on her. She’s been great time. Thank you for following my blog.
    Janice

    Like

    Reply
  39. Judith Barrow's avatar judithbarrow1 says:
    September 14, 2015 at 06:49

    Loved this the first time around – still brought a smile to my face this morning. Thanks Sue and Sally.Jx

    Like

    Reply
  40. CarolCooks2's avatar blondieaka says:
    September 16, 2015 at 09:32

    Thank you for dusting this off and bringing it out again…this is my first time of reading it…and what a joy it was to read… from one black sheep to another…. when is the party starting???? 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  41. vanbytheriver's avatar vanbytheriver says:
    December 5, 2015 at 12:41

    Thanks to Sue, I’ve been following for a while, but missed this lovely post. ❤️ Always loved those black sheep…the movers and shakers of life. ☺

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  42. Solveig's avatar Solveig says:
    December 5, 2015 at 14:15

    Ph this is a beautiful story!

    Like

    Reply
  43. Susan Scott's avatar Susan Scott says:
    December 9, 2016 at 10:28

    Loved this background thank you. The story about the black sheep being the beacon is very stirring –

    Like

    Reply
  44. robbiesinspiration's avatar robbiesinspiration says:
    December 15, 2016 at 15:40

    It is so nice to learn more about Sally. I have only been following her blog for a short while but it is easy to see that she is an incredible lady.

    Like

    Reply

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