The REAL Rest of the Story

I had no idea what to expect at the youth center, so when we pulled up the front door, and were greeted by volunteers coming out to help us, it was a very pleasant surprise.   As with every task, having lots of helpers made unloading the shoes an easy task.   We got everything moved from a piled high van to a nicely organized gymnasium in just a very short time.

With so much excellent help, and everything in place for the shoe drive in record time, we took a few minutes to take a tour of the youth center, talk to the director and to some of the volunteers, and learn a little about what they do there.  And let me tell you...  what they do there is great!

They give the community, especially the kids, a place to go where they can create opportunity for themselves.   To me, one of the coolest things they do there is art.  I grew up learning that art touches every part of society, and every part of life - through the radio, architecture, storefronts, photography, magazines, newspapers, television...  EVERYwhere.  Art is ingrained in us.  So to see a place where kids can learn that, and express themselves, was a huge thing for me.  I especially loved one project in particular that had been done.  They'd used ceiling tiles as canvases, and so there was art above us.  LOVE that idea!

That weird feeling that I had coming into Saturday kept going strong while we were at the shoe drive.  I met a woman there who was volunteering who seemed particularly familiar.  Turned out she was from a neighboring town, and had worked in Springfield for years before retirement.  We even knew people in common.  And being inside the youth center, meeting and talking with the volunteers and staff, I had that weird feeling that I belonged there.  I was very much at ease there all day.

The families we met during the event were simply fantastic.  The kids were all fun and full of energy and life, and the parents were some of the friendliest, most genuine people you could hope to talk to.  One family, in particular, made a special impression on me.  They are a blended family, with 10 kids.  The mom works part time, takes classes, and manages that household.  (And I think it's rough sometimes with just the 5 of us!)  They, like all the families we met, were a joy to share time with.

 At home, at too many of the charitable events I've been at, people are not grateful. In fact, all too often, those receiving help don't just not say "thanks", they sometimes say they are entitled to more, or that what they are receiving is not "good enough" (as in hamburger isn't as "good" as steak). It wasn't like that at this event. Every family, every adult, every child was grateful and appreciative. One grandmother talked to us about how her grandson had gone through "another" recent growth spurt, and didn't currently have any shoes that fit. It made me think of the weekend a couple of years ago when Jack grew seemingly overnight... He came to me on a Monday morning, as he was getting ready for school, and was very concerned about his pants and shoes. I couldn't do anything but gape in amazement at him. His new pants were suddenly two inches too short, and he couldn't even get his foot into his shoe! At the time, our budget was extremely tight, and I remember standing there, wondering how I was ever going to juggle things to buy new clothes. I knew exactly what the grandmother was talking about, and it broke my heart to hear her talk about struggling. I think she said "thank you" at least 30 times. Naturally, being in middle of my peri-menopausal hormonal mess, I cried.

I cried lots of times that day. I suppose I cried because it was all just overwhelming for me at the moment. I really had no business driving half way across the United States, even if it was for a good cause. My house needed a roof, my kids were about to start a new school year, my husband needed a new car, just to name a few of the reasons. But there I was, 100% confident that I belonged there, and 100% confident that everything would be OK, and that God would provide for us exactly as we need. And He has. My house still needs a roof. And the Handsome Husband still needs a car. But the kids got back to school with everything they needed plus some, we've taken care of several other unexpected "emergencies", and we're doing OK.

I also cried that day because I was so very, very grateful to be able to help people who truly needed it.

The day wasn't all seriousness and emotional breakdowns, though. It was alot of fun, too. The girls had a great time hanging out together, and a great time working with the young children that came in. 

And at the end of the shoe drive, one of the student volunteers at the center gave us each either a streak of color in our hair, or a painted faux feather in our hair. It was a blast!

I think meeting the student volunteers hit a soft spot in my heart.  I remember way back when, there was a time when I was much less reserved, and much more free-spirited, and would have signed up in a heartbeat to do what those kids were doing.  I remember having a royal blue wash over my dark hair, and putting together some crazy outfits - all in the name of creative expression. 

Then I "grew up". 

Or did I really just "give up"?  I read a post earlier this week about conformity versus conviction. It struck that same nerve... Tugged at that same spot in my heart...  Made me stop and think.  I think all too often, we equate "growing up" with conforming.  We leave the comfort of high school or college, get a "real" job, and suddenly we become zombies in khaki pants, leaving our "wild ideas" of youth behind for the perceived security a new found conformity will bring to our future.  Or we make new friends. and in our effort to fit in, we discount the importance of our convictions and go along with the crowd, thinking folks will be more likely to like us if we are more like them. 

Phooey.  I've been doing all that conforming stuff for a long, long time, and (thankfully!) I'm realizing that it's not really helping me out so much.  So I'm going to make a concerted effort to stop conforming for the sake of, well...  for the sake of blending in, I guess.  A new, more expressive, true to her convictions, Mary is coming BACK around.

I guess maybe the North Dakota trip was the beginning of that.  Like I've said, I really had no business going, if you look at it from the conservative, conforming vantage point.  But look at it from another viewpoint, and it looks quite different.   It looks like the action of someone with great faith, who knew that if she did what she felt was the right thing - the sort of thing that God was leading her to do so that she could learn and grow - that everything would fall into place.   And, indeed, it is doing just that.

Even during the last day of that trip, I had more reminders that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.  Twice more as we drove across South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, I met individuals whom I am certain I've met before, though rationally I know that's not probable.   And the feeling of familiarity stayed with me.  Every stop we made, every road we travelled along, every sight I saw, felt "right", and felt reassuring.  It's the weirdest thing, and I know I can't fully explain it.  All I can say about it is that I was comforted and energized by those signs of reassurance that were placed along the way. 

And that brings me to the close of that story.  I have a feeling, though, that it's really just the prelude to a much longer, terrifically epic story in my life.    I can't wait to find out about that one!  :)

The Rest of My Story

Really and truly, I do not know why this is so hard for me to write about...  But, it seems it is, so here I am, finally finishing the story of South Dakota.

Friday the 5th of August, we didn't have to rush, so everyone slept in a bit.  When we did get up and get ready, we had to laugh at ourselves.  Some of us had put on our "blingy" sort of biker t-shirts, knowing we were headed to Sturgis.  We loaded up after a late breakfast and got on the road well rested and ready to go.  This part of the trip was on a two-lane highway instead of interstate, and I think it was a more scenic, pleasant drive.

I don't think the girls knew exactly what to expect from Sturgis.  They knew it was the place where a huge bike rally was going to happen, and that's about it.  Keep in mind, we were going there the morning before things got started, so it was totally calm.   The first bike we saw, though, was a good one - pink, and decked out with pink feather boas!

We paused, of course, at the edge of town for a couple of pictures...

Still at the edge of town, it seemed like any other small town, but once we go a few blocks in, it was obviously not just any other place.  We were literally in the middle of an ocean of motorcycles!

We went into the Harley-Davidson store, looked around, and bought t-shirts to take back home with us, and then we started talking to people.  This is where the day got really strange for me...

We talked to a really nice guy named Gary, I think.  He was from a town near Atlanta.  Around our age, maybe a little older.  He helped us find someone willing to let us sit on their Harley for a photo op.  the weird part is that I swear - I mean I SWEAR - I know this guy.  I can't tell you from where or how, but I will forever believe that I'd met him before.  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about it.  From the way he looked to the sound of his voice, to the way he shook my hand.  I know that I've met that guy before. 

Anyway, moving on from the weird stuff...  We each took a turn posing on a bike, which was sort of fun.  Tonya even took a ride around the block with the bike's owner. 

After spending a little bit of time in Sturgis, meeting and talking to some really nice people, and seeing lots and lots of really nice bikes, we got back on the road and headed for Eagle Butte.

Eagle Butte is, very literally, in the middle of nowhere.  For real.  It's a couple of hours from everywhere.  The closest (and I think maybe only) town we went through was faith, which looked as though it consisted of the post office, the gas station, and little else.  Well, little else besides a really cool sign.

I'm sure the name of the place had to have just about everything to do with the fact that it must have taken ALOT of faith to keep going across the countryside to get there safely, and to decide to stay there in the middle of nowhere and make a life. 

Not far from Faith was our final destination, Eagle Butte.  I'm pretty sure our girls were left speechless when they saw the town, and motel we'd be staying at.  Not that we're spoiled, but, well...  ok ok, ok...  we're spoiled.   And we probably spoil our kids a little.  They've never seen lots of the things that we adults have, and we've worked pretty hard to achieve that.  So staying at an older motel was not what the girls were used to.

We made the best of it, though.  We brought a couple of chair outside, and sat around and talked for while until it was time to go to the wild mustang preserve. 

Now, strangely, this mustang preserve was simply AMAZING to me.  I've never really been "into" horses, and in fact, the last time I was on a horse was in 6th grade, with my friend, Stacey, and I ended up on the ground more than on the horse.  But this was somehow different.   I said earlier that everywhere we went on this trip felt like I belonged there.  This was like that.  When we were on the country road to the place, it seemed almost like I knew where we were going.  And when we arrived, I was very comfortable there.  (which is weird for me, if you know me and animals...)  The horses there were some of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen.

We learned quite a bit about how they live, and form families, and get along with each other.  The best part was how we were able to interact with them.  

We tried to drive out into the pasture land, so we could see more of the horses, but it started to rain, and we had to turn back.  The ground in that area is so full of clay, that it gets extraordinarily slick when it rains, and we were afraid we'd get stuck out in the middle of a pasture.  By the time we got back to the main house, the rain stopped (for a while) so we took advantage of the break before the coming storm, and spent time with the horses that were in that area.  Because the short bit of rain had really cooled things off, the horses were very playful, and were showing off for us a little.  We got to see some great interactions between them!

The rain did start up again, and it forced us all back onto the road to the motel, where we were able to sit outside again for while and watch the storm come in.  It was a doozy. 

Stuck in the motel for the night, with the wind and rain pounding at the door, we made the best of it, and I thank GOD for Tonya's sister, Karen.  She kept the girls talking and sharing, and really got conversations going. And she brought facial masks to give the girls a little silly fun.  (I'll spare them from posting THOSE pictures...)  Even though we made it through the night, it wasn't one of our easiest - it seemed like it was a long one.  None of us slept very well, and we were all thrilled to awake to a fresh, sunny day.

Thankfully, there was a gas station just across an empty lot next to the motel, and they had a plentiful supply of fresh, hot coffee, and convenience breakfast stuff.  With super-sized coffee in hand, I was good to go.  We packed up and traveled the few blocks to the youth center, where the shoe drive was going to be held.

I think the shoe drive itself deserves a post of it's own, and for that unknown crazy reason, I'm STILL feeling a challenge writing about this trip, so....  I'll continue with part 3 later.

We Headed Out For A Little Trip

Wow.  Talk about an experience.  I'm not even sure where to begin, or how to convey everything that I experienced. It's taken me a month to collect my thoughts and start writing this, so I guess I'll just start at the beginning...

Tuesday night, the night before we left for South Dakota, I drove to Tonya's and we loaded shoes into my van.  Boxes and boxes and boxes - and boxes - of shoes.  The Caravan is CAVERNOUS, and the majority of the shoes fit into the back with no trouble.  And rather than put down the back row of seats, we used the stow-n-go compartments, and had plenty of room in my vehicle, and left plenty of room in Tonya's vehicle.

Seeing my van FULL of shoes intended for kids really made everything about our trip seem more real - that we were going, why we were going, what it could mean to lots of families...  For me it was energizing.  Like I felt as though I had a purpose in going on this trip.

This trip. 

I'm not sure how I really even ended up on this trip.  I just sort of jumped right into it back in the spring.  Sarah and I were helping with a shoe drive here in town, and Tonya told us she was working with her sister-in-law, Karen, to plan a shoe drive in Eagle Butte, SD, right in the middle of the poorest county in the U.S.  And before I knew it, I was saying that I'd go.  Right there, right then, I said "definitely, Sarah and I will go".  Thank God, Charlie was cool with the idea when I told him.   (Yes, thank God...  Because I'm sure God did set me on this path.)

What amazes me most about this trip coming together with me going along is that I'd never spent any real time with Tonya or Heidi when I enthusiastically agreed to travel 2,000 miles with them.  And even as hotel arrangements were being made, and we discussed who would be driving and riding with whom, it still never really occurred to me that I had no idea what I had gotten into.  It didn't really start to hit me until we were well on our way.

Wednesday morning we were supposed to meet at 5:45 am.  Sarah and I were late.  (OK, OK, OK...  I was late.) But we were all ready to hit the road, so we didn't really lose any time.  By 6:00 we were on the highway, and headed for adventure.  Because it was so early, we missed alot of commuter traffic and made great time, not really stopping except for quick bathroom breaks until the edge of Des Moines, where we hit up McDonald's for a quick lunch.   Nine-ish hours of driving does make for a long day, but the first day of a trip is a good day for a long drive...  You're always excited to be going somewhere, and the drive is somehow easier because of that fact..  

And, besides, something I can't explain happened that first day.  About half way through the afternoon, I saw a sage brush. Of all the things along the side of the road, I spotted the sage brush.  And the second I did, I felt relief.  At first, I wasn't sure that was the feeling, but after LOTS AND LOTS of thinking, that's what it was.  I felt comfortable, and relaxed, and almost like I was in a familiar place.  I still can't explain why, but that is how I felt the entire time I was in South Dakota. 

Our first real stop along the way was in Sioux Falls, SD.  We got there early enough that we had time to check into our hotel, get a little bit 'settled in' and drive around town to find the falls of Sioux Falls.   

After our short trek to what I think was downtown Sioux Falls and the Falls (which were beautiful!), the girls wanted to go and walk around at the mall next to our hotel, so we sent them on their way to shopping glee, and we grabbed some cheese, crackers and wine for us to have back at the hotel.   I think that is when the magnitude of the situation occurred to me. 

I was 9 hours from home, traveling with two women I really only sort of know, and 5 of our combined daughters (well, "ours" plus one).  I had nearly 100 pairs of shoes in my van, and we were headed to an Indian Reservation to distribute them in a community we'd never seen, and knew little about.   The traveling with people part was remarkable in and of itself, considering how particular I am about what and where I eat and drink, and how often I like to stop when I'm driving, and all that sort of thing.  But I was also rooming with those two women I really only sort of know, and that's even more remarkable for me.  I'm weird about my "space", and usually do everything in my power to room alone.   But there I was, realizing that I was right in the middle of it.  And there was nothing to do about it but go with the flow, because I knowingly put myself there.  So Tonya, Heidi, and I sat around talking for hours while the girls shopped at the mall, and by the time we we ready for bed, I had realized that the "magnitude" of things didn't really matter.  I have no idea why, but I felt like I belonged there.  Like I was somehow, for some reason, supposed to be exactly where I was.

And when I awoke the next day to a beautiful sunrise, I felt even more that way.

We got an early start to the day on Thursday, knowing that we had a long drive to get across South Dakota by evening.  We had reservations in Rapid City, and wanted to get there in time to get our bearings,relax a little, have a decent meal, and make it to Mt. Rushmore in time to see the lighting ceremony that takes place at dusk. And, of course, we had to make a stop at the world-famous Wall Drug along the way, so we could find out for ourselves that it's really just a very, very, very large tourist gift shop. 

When we got to the hotel in Rapid City, the girls were thrilled to learn there was a small water park attached to the hotel.  They got their suits on, and played for a short while in there, while we three adults decompressed after a day of driving.  We got an early dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then went to Mt. Rushmore.   

I'm the only one who'd been to Mt. Rushmore in the past, and so it was kind of fun to see everyone's reaction when they saw the monument for the first time.  As we walked onto the viewing terrace, everyone stopped to get their phones and cameras out to take pictures.

We didn't "have" to go to Mt. Rushmore.  We could probably have shortened our trip by a day and skipped it, but I'm glad we didn't.  I'm glad we took the time to give that experience to the girls.  Our nation has some AMAZING monuments, parks, and attractions, and Mt. Rushmore is one of the cooler ones, in my opinion.

We were there with enough time to look around the gift shop, grab some ice cream, and take a few group pictures before the lighting ceremony started at dusk. 

I wish I'd known about the lighting ceremony when I was at the monument a few years ago with my dad.  I'm sure he would have enjoyed it.  While it was much less eventful than I'd expected, it was still pretty awesome.   Someone from the National Park staff came onto the stage at the base of the viewing terrace and told about the history of the monument, and gave some interesting facts.  Then he invited any current and past members of the military who were present in the audience to come to the stage and be recognized, and a few of them helped with a flag folding presentation.  It was a rather solemn presentation, and I was amazed that an audience of so many was so quiet throughout it.  At the end of the presentation, when the skies were completely dark, the stage and viewing terrace lights dimmed, and the faces of stone were illuminated.  It was beautiful!

While the lighting ceremony had been solemn and quiet, the trip from Mt. Rushmore back to the hotel in Rapid City was an adventure.  We missed our turn to skirt around town to the highway, and ended up about 10 minutes into the middle of the town.  Naturally, we turned back.  And...  you guessed it.  We missed the turn again.  Thanks to Google Maps and Mapquest, we finally made it back to the highway and back to the hotel, where we had a quick meeting of the minds to figure out the next day's schedule.

Rapid City is just about 30 minutes from Sturgis, and we just happened to be there on the weekend  that kicked off the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.   It didn't take much convincing for us to decide that we HAD to stop off in Sturgis on the way to Eagle Butte.  We'd seen hundreds of motorcycles on the highway, and heard countless stories of the legendary Sturgis, and wanted to see it for ourselves.   Plus, we figured the girls would get a kick out of it.  With that decided, day two was done, and we hit the hay.

I'll stop part 1 of this story there.  Friday and Saturday were emotional days for me, and it's hard to explain how and why.  Besides, I'm sure I'm rambling and should probably collect my thoughts before I go on.  Sooooo....   look for part 2 soon.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Sarah and I met Tonya, Heidi, and several of the Jr. High/High School girls at Payless shoes tonight, and the girls picked out the shoes we will be taking with us for the South Dakota shoes drive. 

It's starting to seem so much more "real" now that we have the shoes!  I'm excited about going.  I'm looking forward to meeting the families at the shoe drive, and to having some good times along the way.

Matt is in town this week.  His great grandmother died, so he is here for the funeral.  He's also setting up a new laptop for the H.H. and spending a little time with the fam.   He called to invite Sarah and me to have lunch on Sunday, which was a pleasant surprise.  We picked him up and went to the Corner Pub, and then brought him back to the house with us so he could work some computer geek "magic".  Sunday night, we got another pleasant surprise when Doug Hefflin and his wife and mother-in-law came over and we all trekked to Riverton for dinner at France's. 

I said a couple of days ago that this would be a busy week, and it is!  Tomorrow night, Sarah and Charlie are going to St. Louis to see Journey.  Then there are still dentist appointments, school physicals, piano lessons, karate, band, and much more to get through in the next few days.  I'll be ready for a day off by the end of this week!

What a Week!

We returned from vacation on Saturday, but it's still been a whirlwind of activity around here!  On Sunday, the H.H. and I went to the Brewhaus to see our friend, Jan's, brother and his wife play a little bluegrass.  While Jan couldn't make it there, her hubby, Mark, did, and we had some nice conversation while we listened to the band.

After a week of sleeping in and lounging, it was more than just a little rough to get up and get back into the routine on Monday morning.  But, I survived.  I think Jack was happy to get back to camp, so he got up without much complaining. 

The H.H. and I met my friends, Kimmi and Russ at one of the lake clubs on Saturday night to see my high school friend, Rich's, band The Cherry Stoners play at one of the lake clubs.   At the end of the night, we went to Lake Pointe Grille for a late dinner.  Neither of us had ever been there, and I'm so glad we went!  It was VERY good.  I'll definitely be going back there.  I wish we could go out with them more often.  It's always fun!

Now that we're back home and getting into the swing of things, it's time for me to think about...  the next trip!  Sarah and I will be headed to South Dakota very soon with Tonya, Heidi, and their girls for a Share the Spirit shoe drive.  We're going this week to buy the shoes that we'll be taking to Eagle Butte, SD.  I'm really looking forward to that trip - I think it will be an amazing experience.  First we just have to get through the next very busy week!

Home, Sweet, Home?

Why does the drive home after vacation always seem soooooooo long?  I'm sure it's because we're so tired.  Of course, in our car, we're also still silly, and tend to get a little slap-happy on long drives.

Last Night

Vacation always FLIES by, and this year's week of vaca has been  no exception to that.  On our last night in Branson, we went to a place called the "Rowdy Beaver".  It was sort of a compromise - it looked more "chain-esque" so the kids were pretty sure they'd find something good on the menu, but it also looked independent enough that Charlie and I would find something more unique. 

And it did offer both.  It was a fun sort of pub/restaurant sort of place.  The food was good, and plentiful, and everyone left there happy.  (and I didn't get sick!)

Naturally, you can guess what we did for our last vacation hoorah...  GO-KARTS.  (yes, we are probably just a bunch of goofballs, but we have fun....)