Well, this young lady just left for her first day of her sophomore year in college. She is looking forward to this year!
And speaking of college, I just came across a couple of pictures of a care package some people in our church put together for Nathan a few years ago when he was home for a break and was leaving to drive back to Florida.
Isn’t this such a great idea?
Here are the contents of the bag. I will never forget the thoughtfulness and time that went into making Nathan’s journey back to college a good one.
I still have some pictures and stories to share from our NM trip.
As you’ve probably heard me mention (a few hundred times), one of my favorite things to do is drive through interesting, out-of-the-way scenery. Well, during our stay in Santa Fe, we heard about a road called the High Road to Taos. Here is a brief description from Wikipedia:
The 56-mile (90 km) High Road to Taos is a scenic, winding road through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Santa Fe andTaos. (The “Low Road” runs through the valleys along the Rio Grande). It winds through high desert, mountains, forests, small farms, and tiny Spanish Land Grant villages and Pueblo Indian villages. Scattered along the way are the galleries and studios of traditional artisans and artists drawn by the natural beauty. It has been recognized by the state of New Mexico as an official Scenic Byway.
Can you understand why my heart went pitter-pat at the very mention of such an excursion? My only regret is that we were on a deadline to get our rental car turned in so we couldn’t stop at every place that caught our eye. One of the places we did pull over for though, was this one.
Because how could anyone ever resist stopping at a building in the absolute middle of absolute nowhere that touted a theater AND a circus?
The back of the building.
As I walked up to the entrance, I was happy to see a sign about free books. I selected one to serve as a memento of the trip.
The first thing I saw when I stepped inside the murky dimness was this wonderful old projector. I could have stood and stared at it for forever–so dilapidated and grand, standing tall amidst the dust and the remembered magic it had spent so many years creating.
Inside the small foyer area were chairs that had seen better days.
A ladder made its creaky way up to the area where the lights and sound were controlled.
But what struck me the most was the voice I heard as I peered through the door leading from the shabby foyer into the even shabbier auditorium.
It was the voice of a young woman giving drama instructions to a group of children. I stood for a few moments and listened as she said, “When you speak, be sure you look at the audience and not at the ground, because the things you say are important and you don’t want only the ground to hear your words.”
She went on to say several more things along the same line and I realized that she was actually giving life lessons and confidence lessons, all wrapped up in the guise of teaching drama.
A few minutes earlier, as Steve and I had been driving down the highway, we had been discussing the beautiful isolation around us, the miles of roads with no houses or civilization, the small villages that cropped up now and then and the poverty that so many of those villages seemed to be wrapped in. I remember wondering to myself, “What about the children and teens? What do they do during the long, hot summers?”
And I found at least part of my answer.
I found that there were adults who had a place in their hearts for the young. They had a place in their hearts for kids that others may have overlooked. They took their time and their talents and put together plays and created drama classes and life lessons.
As I walked around outside area, I discovered that there were other adults on site who had taken the time to put together an outdoor party for the smaller children.
As Steve and I continued our journey to the car rental place, the hotel, the airport, and home, those those people stayed in my thoughts. They will never know how much they impacted this North Carolina tourist with the way they spent time unselfishly reaching and teaching—making a difference in the lives of those children even though no one in the world would ever notice or care.
But I noticed. And I cared.
And now I have the joy of passing their story on to you.
The beauty of the scenery could never begin to measure up to the beauty of those giving hearts . . . along the high road.
Has Sarah ever heard of Hollins university? It’s in Virginia and a liberal arts school. It’s very writing extensive and I know she likes writing. It’s all female too. I’m an alum and I love my time there :). She should check it out.
Jennifer,
Thanks for the info. I looked up the website and it looks like a great place; I’ll pass the name on to Sarah.
Oh Becky, I love this post. Best to Sarah for her sophomore year!
My east of the Mississippi homeschooled daughter chose to go to college in Santa Fe. It was quite the change of EVERYTHING! Then, after college, she worked in Taos, with the very types of children you likely saw at the theater camp.
We never took the High Road to Taos since we always kept to the faster low road – as we were anticipating seeing our daughter and her husband. (She married and settled in the area after college.) Yes, that area is “beautiful isolation,” but with so many areas wrapped in poverty. Many times when we visited, and even now, I wonder about the families and the children. The area is inhabited by such a diverse group of very wealthy and so many poor. It would take a lot of fortitude for people to choose to move to places with more diverse opportunities. After my grandson was born, my daughter and son-in-law did just that. They chose to move, rather than raise their son in the isolated area. Kinda of sad, for the area is so rich in beauty, but lonely in so many other ways.
Thank you for sharing the pictures and words that describe the area so well.
Ann,
What an insightful comment, especially coming from someone who has driven in that area and seen those villages.You understand better than most what I was trying to express in my post.
Bless your daughter for the work she did with those sweet children.
Happy Sophomore Year, Sarah! Becky, you have an eye for seeing the things usually unseen. Beautiful story.
Guerrina,
Seeing the things usually unseen . . . a wonderful comment and one I will aspire to live up to1
Too bad you didn’t have more time to stop along the way. I could see that 56 mile trip taking a full day. We took a scenic trip along the Columbia River north of Portland on our recent vacation. It was beautfiul.
Hope Sarah has a great year.
Phyllis,
Aren’t scenic drives the best thing? I’ve heard the Portland area is absolutely gorgeous.
It is! And you know someone there (here) with a queen-size bed available, Becky. 🙂
Jan,
Don’t tempt me!!
love that mosaic wall!
of course, teachers have the Best job in the world!!!
Mrs. Pam,
I also loved seeing that mosaic wall–it was so beautiful and unassuming and added such a splash of color. Who knows how long it has stood there? Utterly gorgeous.
Enjoyed that stop along the high road! 🙂 Happy sophomore year, dear Sarah!
love, deb
Deb,
Glad you enjoyed our high road journey. Sarah had a great first day!
Pray Sarah has a great year as she continues her journey. Enjoyed your pictures.
Ann,
Glad you enjoyed the pictures. And yes, it is a great joy to watch Sarah continue her journey. She loves our little college here and is excited about her year.
I know Sarah will have an impact on her college friends as she has had wherever she has been. Beautiful scenery and we too try and find places that have, what we call “character.” Even in our eating places we try and find mom and pop places, or places that might have character on the inside, but also look to see if there are a lot of cars in the parking lot – that can tell you something about the restaurant. Try not to eat in fast food places or places we have at home. I so enjoy all of your pictures – the Lord has really given you an eye for photography – many items or places we might pass by.
Sharyn,
I know. Isn’t it so much fun to discover those out-of-the-way spots? So much more interesting than the chain stores.
What a beautiful story! It takes a special, thoughtful person to notice those “unseen” efforts!
Angela,
I’m just so glad I happened to stumble upon that scene. It truly impacted me.
I hope you have a wonderful year Sarah!
Becky, you always seem to find the most intriguing places!! 🙂
LeeAnne,
I’m just glad there are so many intriguing places out there to find! 🙂