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HeroicStories #749: Redemption from the Mud
Reaching more than 40,000 subscribers in 118 countries, this is...
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HeroicStories #749: 7 June 2008 www.HeroicStories.com
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Redemption from the Mud Story Editor:
by Mary Malone Joyce Schowalter
Washington, USA
I was prepared for the worst. I had water, gloves and tools to scrape
the mud, garbage bags in which to put the broken picture frames, tables
to set out the photos. But I wasn't prepared for what I saw when I
opened the first bag.
I had volunteered for cleanup efforts from the flood in Centralia,
Washington, in December 2007. A gal named Kathryn had sent a volunteer
to my home with photos: four bags and two boxes.
The bags were mostly full of pictures in frames, old 70's high school
pictures, a black and white or two, and lots of snapshots. I was amazed
to see that under an inch of mud, they weren't destroyed.
Water really isn't an enemy to pictures, they are developed in liquids,
and as long as they don't dry out in this condition, they can be cleaned
and made right again. I started on the first pile. I had glimpsed a
black and white in the bag and thought I ought to start on the oldest
ones first.
I had to break the frames in order to get the swollen cardboard backings
off. As I peeled, rinsed, and scraped the mud I got down to the glass
and the picture. As I slid my putty knife along the edge of the glass,
there appeared an old gentleman in a gray flannel hat, with a
distinguished-looking mustache. The photo was in nearly perfect
condition.
Encouraged, I plunged onward, releasing brides and grooms, babies with
moms, and school aged children from their muddy prisons.
What I was not prepared for as my tables filled up with faces was the
surge of raw emotion I felt as I looked on decades of photos nearly
destroyed by the raging waters of winter rains. It broke my heart that
though these pictures were now relatively safe, many others were lost to
their mud-covered sepulchers.
A lesson came to me clearly: if your pictures of your family are
precious to you, treat them like family. Don't store them on the ground
floor if you live close to water of any kind. Make duplicates and store
them off-site, in a safe deposit box, or a relative's home.
And don't print your pictures at home! I know we all do it, but don't
let that be the only copy! Pictures printed by professional developers
can be rinsed and cleaned without fear of ruining the photo. Photos
printed at home wouldn't be all right after sitting in mud for days --
in fact, they wouldn't be there at all.
The first night I rinsed and rinsed for about five hours. My counters
and four tables were full of faces I knew nothing about. Families I
don't know, children who are grown up with their own children, water
skiers, cruises, boat rides, Mustangs, Harleys, babies, grandparents,
toddlers and toys.
But mostly... my tables were full of hope for rebuilding.
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EDITOR'S NOTE:
The author's web site: http://www.scrappermarylu.blogspot.com
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Why Not Try It?
Please try our Amazon link to buy any book you like!
Doing your Amazon shopping from there supports HeroicStories.
At the foot of the page here: http://heroicstories.com
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Joyce writes: Once again, it's too long since the last HeroicStories:
thanks for your patience. Thanks also for your many kind comments about
my personal situation. There are far too many to print or ever reply to,
yet I read them all and every one helped.
Fran in New Hampshire wrote: "How appropriate that your message came
today, as it is the beginning of National Foster Care Month." Amazing --
I was too busy to notice!
Paul in Ontario, Canada really excelled at describing caregiver stress:
"I know stress because my wife Linda and I cared for her 96-year-old
father (Jim) in our house for the last 14 years. He had Parkinson's
disease and didn't always remember to take his pills every four hours.
One of us always had to be here or find someone to stand in whenever we
wanted respite. Now he's passed on we realize getting over this stress
will take time, and we have to create a new life for ourselves. So, I
understand, and admire very much what you are undertaking."
Many people offered to send good thoughts or prayers in regards to my
foster-to-adopt journey. Shalini in Australia wrote in part: "Why not
pick a time, put a reminder in our phones (we do it for so many mundane
things anyway) and when that alarm goes off, take a minute and send out
a prayer." For anyone interested, let's try 10 a.m. wherever you are, to
affirm safety for the child, and equilibrium and peacefulness for me.
Thank you.
Mike in New Jersey was reassuring regards my guilt for not publishing
frequently: "To paraphrase, I'll give up HeroicStories when you can pry
it from my cold dead hands. Even if it went down to one issue / year, I
would still feel the same way. The quality and caring behind each issue
make frequency slippages bearable." Thanks, Mike.
Back to HeroicStories and what it needs now. In the last issue I
suggested a dialog about what *benefit* HeroicStories would derive from
more people being involved, "taking it to another creative, wonderful
level".
It's obvious from the outside that HS needs editors. In fact, however,
HeroicStories needs people with all the different skills any
organization needs. We need project managers, as example to steer a new
book of stories into print, or get T-shirts printed, both of which would
create revenue. We need editor... and someone to manage the flow of
stories to and from the editors. Or do you have a business that ships
products? The right person could take over shipping our books and pins.
Do you have web site skills? We're looking at a team effort, for example
having one person responsible for upkeep of our Book Pages. Then of
course, there's fundraising. Is that something you enjoy?
Would you enjoy volunteering for HeroicStories? If so, what do you have
to offer? What is your skill set, what do you like to do, what would you
offer a team effort to create HeroicStories? If interested, please
email: volunteer@HeroicStories.com, with a subject like, "Edit,
Proofread," "Project Manage", "Fundraising Copy", "Data Entry", "501(c)3
help", etc.
Please also mention what amount of time you could reliably offer per
month, and for how long a period of time? (At least six months, please.)
We look forward to hearing from you.
Now back to our story Comments Section, created by Sheila Crosby of
Spain:
In last week's all-star re-run story, "Three Penny Momma" (#748) Don
recounted how his step mother gave him and his two sisters love and
stability after they'd lived in an orphanage.
Tim in Montana didn't mind the re-run at all. Tim: "I for one am
thoroughly grateful that you didn't put together a new issue, as I
missed this story the first time."
Lauri in Oklahoma said: "Mothers like Don's, who raise the biological
children of others are extra special people. And mothers like Joyce, who
knowingly and willingly volunteer to help an abused child to heal
without expectation of any reward will surely get whatever blessings may
be available!"
In our previous week's story, "A Class Act" (#747), a high school class
adopted a needy family for Christmas, buying each person the perfect
gift. You can still read the story on our archives at:
http://www.HeroicStories.com/archives.html.
Anna from Rhode Island has similar memories. Anna: "Every year for the
past ten I've adopted a family (either individually or with a group of
co-workers) and shopping for them is always my greatest Christmas joy.
As sponsors, we always get a helpful wish list of suggestions, but I
know I'm always trying my best to find the special gift for each child
to open Christmas morning. The blessing of a gift given is twice
received -- once by the recipient and once by the giver. Thanks for your
work at Heroic Stories. It's always a blessing."
Joyce Schowalter, Networker in Chief
Sheila Crosby, Comments Editor
Co-Conspirators to Make the World a Better Place
COMMENTS about stories are always welcome -- please include your first
name and location: [contact information]
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last updated: May 2005