The Violin

Photo by D K Bear of Denmark

I am the internship coordinator for the undergraduate “Child and Family Services” majors in our department.  Every semester, the student interns enrolled in my course submit journals, time logs and assignments.  They also respond to a discussion question I post every week in our online classroom.  One week, I posted this prompt:

“You are currently utilizing knowledge from your studies, information you learned while being trained for that position and your own set of skills and personality.  You collected these “unique” skills along life as you grew to this particular point.  Write about one special skill you have unique to you, that helps you find creative ways to do your job.”

A student who was serving her internship at Judith Karmen Hospice wrote this:

“I make weekly visits to an older gentleman who is dying. He has no family in the area, and most of his friends are already dead.  He’s in lot of pain.  One day, I walked into his house and heard him listening to classical music on a small radio.  It happened to be a violin solo that I knew.  I’ve been playing the violin since I was five.  So the next week, I brought my violin with me and asked him if he would like me to play.  He nodded, and I played for him.  I played every week for the next five.  I played him right up to death’s door.  My music helped him deal with his pain, and it accompanied him as he died. So, is that what you mean by your question?”

Well, yes.  That’s what I meant.

This is why I teach, and why I think I usually learn more than my students.

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Thursday Morning Shout Out: The Talimena Drive and Those Who Takes Us Along With Their Eyes

(Note – this is a reprint from last year, retitled.  We hear that NOW is the time to be in the mountains if you want to see the foliage this year.  What do YOU hear?)

Good morning, Red Dirt Country.  We haven’t had a “Friday Morning Shout Out” in a few weeks, so I thought I would provide you with a little treat.  I’m going to take you back, back, back…all the way to November 13th of this year. Was that just one month ago?

It was a beautiful day, and a few members of the Tulsa Digital Photography Group were winding around the hills of Oklahoma’s famous Talimena Drive.  Sometimes they’d wind all the way over to Mena, Arkansas. But, then they would hop right back into our great state once again…shooting the autumn beauty in “God’s Country” all the while.

The borders of Oklahoma and Arkansas get a little fuzzy when there is so much beauty in one place.  And, photographers like Brian Favell did their best to capture all of what the perfect drive for Fall had to offer.  It seems that every year is different; who knows what 2011 has in store for the beholder?  But for this year, and for that day, and for this Shout Out, we’re going to share with you what Brian found – through his eyes, on his journey down the beautiful, twisty, turvy, upsy and downsy Talimena Drive of Eastern Oklahoma.

Thanks Brian, for the tour…and thanks, Oklahoma mountains, for once again showing us what you’ve got!

Continue reading Thursday Morning Shout Out: The Talimena Drive and Those Who Takes Us Along With Their Eyes

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The 2011 Imaginary Family Project – Week 43

#43 of 52 : ANN & DEBBIE
Imaginary Family Project - Week 43

External Photo Clues:
None

Imagine:
Harry stepped forward, then back, to the right and then to the left. He wanted to frame the photo just right. “This is the first day of the rest of your life!” he said to Debbie.

Ann and Harry had been married for almost 2 years when Debbie was born.  Harry doted on Debbie. He named her after his mother. Debbie came early and was sickly. Harry took his job as her father, her protector seriously. Ann didn’t know what to do, but she did her best to take care of her.

Debbie was allergic to almost everything it seemed. Continue reading The 2011 Imaginary Family Project – Week 43

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On the Horizon: Financially Strong

The U.S. economy is on the minds of many Americans and is it is not a positive thought to most. From unemployment to a failing stock market, people are unsure of their future. What lies ahead? What about my children? What about my retirement?

For those living in Oklahoma there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is a bright one. The market crash did not hit the state nearly as hard as the rest of the nation and jobs are springing up all over. In this week’s video blog see how from aerospace and energy to small business the economy in Oklahoma is on the up and up.

~Andy Barth

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Showcasing Red Dirt culture ~ authored and managed by contributors with connections to the great state of Oklahoma.