How We Go On

As I was driving yesterday I heard Julia Glass on NPR talking about the book, "Warps The Mind a Little" by John Dufresne. I haven't read the book yet, but her review makes me want to.

But at the end of her piece she said something that jumped out at me, that I had to quickly write down before it escaped my brain.
"All the best novels are about one thing: how we go on."

I started rolling through my mental list of books I love and discovered she has hit the proverbial nail soundly on the proverbial head. How we go on. Yes, it's all about how we go on. How do we go on after love or death or both. How do we go on after embarrassment over things done or said. How do we go on when it seems impossible? How do we go on?

I'll be thinking about this in regard to my own writing.

Glass packs many beautiful phrases into this short piece, but I would be remiss in not quoting the full one regarding how we go on.
"All the best novels are about one thing: how we go on. The characters must survive the fallout of their own cowardice, folly, denial or misguided passion. They squander what matters most, and still they pick up the pieces. I've been there and, clearly, so has John Dufresne."

I've been there, too, but I've never expressed it so eloquently. This is truly an exercise in using the language judiciously. One way we go on is to write. Oh, to hope to use words well when doing so.

If you want to hear the delightful piece, or read an excerpt of the book, go to the NPR site.

Old and New

This has been a day of old and new. I was driving to the west this afternoon as the sun was setting and this scene reminded me of that combination of extremes. Wind turbines are a more common sight on the prairie these days. They're a new way to harness a timeless power.

This morning I went to Radio Kansas to give good wishes to retiring General Manager Dave Horning. Dave hired me to do news at the radio station many years ago, and then gave me a chance to become a PR person. It has been on my mind all day that many of us were brought together in this life because Dave hired us at one time or another. I'm guessing that may be strongly felt by Anthony and Carolyn, who met at the station, who are now raising their four sons in Indiana.

Ken invited me to do an on-air interview with Dave and I wasn't at all prepared, but it was great to be on the air there again. For reasons I can't fully explain, I always feel comfortable holding a microphone. People often me what a great voice I have and I keep thinking I should be in a line of work where I'm using it more, but as of yet I haven't figured out what, exactly, that path is. I'd love to do more voice work. I really enjoy it a great deal.

I'm really happy in my new job and was really happy to be at my old work place, seeing people I used to work with, as well as new folks there. I chatted with Ric a little and Sharon quite a bit. Geralynn and I talked awhile and I said hello to other folks who are working there and who used to work there. I guess I missed Andrea by just a few minutes.

We don't always know what kind of impact we have on other lives - something worth remembering as I go through daily living. Old and new and inbetween all merge together into life.

I went over and shook Dave's hand when I was leaving and said, "Mr. Horning, I hope you throughly enjoy retirement." I don't know that I've called him "Mr. Horning" since I returned the phone call he left on my answering machine about coming out for an interview more than two decades ago, but it seemed appropriate in the circumstance. I hope nothing but wonderful things come his way in retirement.

Geeks On A Saturday Afternoon

What do geeks do on a Saturday afternoon?

They take pictures of themselves in Riverside, Iowa, next to plaques noting the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.

Am I embarrassed?

No. I am not.

Live long and prosper.

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Pumpkins

You may remember the saga of my pumpkins earlier this summer. Well, first of all, in case there is any confusion, let me tell you this is not one of my pumpkins.

I had my first pumpkin patch this year and it was looking quite wonderful in my backyard until the squash bugs arrived. They came one weekend when I was gone and destroyed my pumpkins before I had returned Sunday evening. I was not a happy camper about it. Frankly, I'm still not.

Before the arrival of the pests, I decided I would enter some pumpkins in the fair. I even did the paperwork online and printed it out. I was all excited. I did not expect to win anything, but I thought it would be fun to see my pumpkins there with the others.

Well, when I was at the state fair, I went and looked at the pumpkins. This was the grand prize winner and it was perfect. I mean, perfect. Beautiful orange color, perfectly curved stem, gorgeous. If somewhere in the back of my mind I had any delusion about one of my pumpkins netting any kind of ribbon, it was quashed. Soundly.

I was glad I had not forced this shame upon the two pumpkins I managed to save from the bugs. They may not be beautiful enough to win a purple ribbon, but I love them just the way they are.

And I'm mighty impressed by this perfect pumpkin. Very impressed.

A Sign of the Times - Worry over Flu

At the K-State booth at the fair, they were letting people take home temporary tattoos, but not applying them because of a danger of spreading disease. It seems the worry over H1N1 continues to grow.

I am planning to get flu shots - the regular one and H1N1 - but I can't say I'm overly worried. Of course, I'm an obsessive hand washer, so I guess you could say I worry all the time.

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All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.

Rituals

It's funny how rituals develop. When you do something the first time, you don't know that it's going to be something repeated, and that it will take on a meaning beyond the experience.

Every year at the Kansas State Fair, we go visit "The Little Man." This automation is at the Women's Christian Temperance Union booth under the grandstand. He moves and the book turns as he does.

I find it completely charming that the book is filled with pages made from cut up magazines and handwritten messages - all about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. It wouldn't be the same if I went one year and they had employed a graphic designer to make everything slick and fancy. I like it just the way it is. It's perfect.

That's one of the things about rituals. We don't want them messed with. At all.

Whenever we're at the grandstand during the fair, we always meet at "The Little Man." We make a trip up to visit him, even if we're not going to the grandstand for any other reason.

We were shocked to learn that Trish had never seen him. She has been to the fair every year of her life, and not seen him. Isn't it interesting how something that's meaningful to some of us has completely escaped her notice? I insisted on taking her photo with him. Maybe this will just be the first of many such photos.

What is his hold over us? Well, we joke about that. First of all, it's just cool that an automation who's been around many more decades than me is still working, raising his eyebrows, ringing his bell and pointing at the pages as they turn. He has truly withstood the test of time.

Beyond that, there's a comfort in returning to the same place and seeing the same scene each time. What's near that booth changes - this year it was a mix of tie dye garments and Jesus Sandals (their phrasing, not mine) - but The Little Man is in the same spot, doing the same thing, year after year. It's something you can count on. Something that makes your world feel a little more normal.

Sometimes we all need a little normal and that's part of the power of ritual.

Social Networking for Rural Tourism

I spent last night in Winfield, Kansas, southeast of Wichita. I was there to teach two classes today about social networking. These are groups of rural tourism folks, and this is a project of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

I arrived too late last night to do any exploring, but couldn't resist this photo of the Union State Bank. I loved the sign and the graceful archways. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to explore today either because I needed to head back after class. I hadn't been to Winfield in awhile and need to get back there soon. They just completed the Walnut Valley Festival that draws people from all over the world.

In these classes I teach folks blogging, facebook and twitter. Do I think those will always be THE things? No. But I know technology never goes backward and we're going to be using something. And if people know how to use these things, they can transfer that knowledge to whatever the next thing is.

I never feel like I cover everything sufficiently, but at least people get some idea of how it works and can experiment with it on their own later. In every class some folks are brand new to these concepts and some are further down the road. Regardless of where people are, there is potential. Great potential.

I stress to them that the lives we're leading on the prairie are exotic to others, just as a life in downtown Cairo would be exotic to us. And I encourage them to be out there promoting their message, whatever that is.

I'm thrilled to be part of this project for numerous reasons.
1. I believe there is tremendous potential in using social networking to promote rural tourism. It's free. It's available. It's global.
2. The Kansas Sampler Foundation is an amazing organization, and unlike anything I know of anywhere else. If you're looking for quality, that's it. I'm flattered they asked me to participate. It's the equivalent of the Good Housekeeping Stamp of Approval.
3. It's wonderful to meet the folks in these classes. Many of them are from very small communities and are doing incredible things.
4. I want other people to understand the thrill of exploring rural areas. There's nothing else quite like it. I think social networking can help people understand what there is out there, just waiting to be discovered.

If you've never taken the time to explore in your own area, do it this weekend. I promise it's rewarding. Get in your car, drive to a rural area, start talking to people, and find out what's unique about it. Then tell others. Buy some stamps at the local post office (small post offices are always in danger of closing - buying stamps there helps their bottom line), pick up some basics at the local grocery store (did you know grocery stores have to buy $10,000 worth of product weekly to get delivery? help those folks who are keeping the stores open in small communities), shop, eat, get gas, and otherwise make an impact. Trust me, your visit - one person or one group - can make a difference. Do it.

When these classes are finished and everyone has their pages up and running I'm going to print a list here, so you can see what folks in rural Kansas are doing. You'll be amazed.
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Subscribe for free to Patsy's Ponderings in email or your choice of a reader.

Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, cooking and more. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Plurk and other social media sites of your choosing.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.