Out of Order opens with my traumatic departure from the convent at age 34. Since that fateful day, friends have insisted that I write a book. For 40 years I tried with no success. What message did I want to convey that might benefit others? Finally, "Out of Order" said it best Order, in its bare-bone definition, boils down to marching to one drummer even though you may personally respond to a distinctly different beat. To be In-Order is to conform perfectly to the dictates of a "Higher Authority." Out-of-Order indicates that something needs fixing. What better way to control people, especially women, than to enslave their minds and hearts through religious mythology, convincing them from childhood that they must bow down to the strictures of a male-dominated society or suffer condemnation? The Ugly Duckling metaphor exemplified my personal plight. Even though on the pond's surface I appeared to fit in with my religious peers, my mental paddling was never quite in sync. An instinctive drive to fight injustice of any kind was the rudder that steered me into "hot water." Authority dictates how human rights are pared down and too often warped by leaders whose primary goal is total control. From family, to church, to school, to government, to the world of work, rules are made to keep us in line. And it helps if we are told that God has ordered this conformity