A trip to the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution is always on my Monday schedule. This week I made my way to the facility and when I came to the stop sign at the junction of Highways 50 and 136 I saw my friend, Anita. She had driven to town for a visit to the prison and she had brought our mutual friend, Jo.
When we all drove onto the parking lot, Jo and Anita hurried into the Gatehouse with their sandwiches. They barely got inside the door when Anita was called to go to the visitors' room. She rushed away and Jo and I waited to be processed so we could attend the meeting of LibOrators 986233, a club within Toastmasters, International. They meet in the Educational Unit of TSCI every Monday of the world.
We were joined by two other Toastmasters from the streets and went to our meeting, blissfully unaware of the drama that was brewing in the Gatehouse!
As we mingled during the social time, one of the club members asked about The Normanator. "Oh, " I assured him. "He and Anita are watching 'Dancing With the Stars' and I'll take Jo home with me for dessert before they drive home."
It wasn't QUITE that way...
After the meeting, our escort brought us to the Gatehouse, where we were met by one frantic Anita. She was nearly crazed and it showed in her face. She wore no coat and begged me to look in my pocket for any keys I may have.
HUH? I had my locker key. Why would I have any other? She insisted, "I'm sure you found MY locker key; I'd expect you to bring it with you."
I was more puzzled than ever. The staff, who had by now gathered in a rather large number, shuffled papers, exchanged looks, asked a million times if we were all SURE...
I suggested they get the master key. Oh, my, no. It could not happen.
That decision did nothing assuage my puzzlement and it most certainly did not soothe Anita's nerves.
Because the weather was uncertain, Anita and Jo had prepared to spend an overnight. Anita's car has keyless entry so they could gather their belongings, but without a locker key, they could not access Anita's coat, keys OR HER SANDWICH! I reminded them of our guest bedroom and promised to feed them if they came home with me.
And that's what they did. We fed them potato soup and coleslaw. Of course we had the great, healthy water from High Tech Health we are famous for providing. The Normanator served up his special butter pecan cake with burnt sugar frosting and we all wondered WHERE WAS THAT LOCKER KEY?
About an hour after they had arrived and were discussing the sleeping arrangements and what time they'd need to leave to make their Tuesday appointment schedule the phone rang...
The officer from the Gatehouse announced that the lost key finally had been found, after all. You may have heard the sighs of relief Jo and Anita let out. You may even have heard me cry, "Aww, I wanted to make a slumber party out of it!"
It had fallen between two chairs in the visitors' room but did not hit the floor so no one knew it was lost until Anita needed to open the locker.
All's well that ends well. I still want to have a slumber party.
High Tech Health
Connie Baum
Showing posts with label Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Dancing With the Stars?
On Monday evenings, people all over the country tune their TV sets to ABC TV to watch the popular show “Dancing With the Stars” where celebrities are paired with professional dancers to the delight of the audience. There is emphasis on the music, the artists, the panel of judges; even the skimpy costumes!
Not everyone tunes in. There is a dedicated group of men who are incarcerated at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution who prepare a meeting room by heating water for coffee. They hang a banner and its accompanying ribbons. One will find an interesting new word for increasing vocabulary and they will prepare a list of duties to be performed at the gathering; they match names to duties in an organized, well orchestrated manner.
When it is time for the Toastmaster meeting to begin, men stream in across the yard from their housing units to come for a couple of hours of education and social time. The men are not the only ones who attend. There are three women who arrive through the Gatehouse to be a part of the meeting. Technically, the women are considered to be guests. None of the three considers herself a guest, however. We all three think we are just “another one of the guys.”
While Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris host their program, we have a Toastmaster who also serves as a host, with the help of his General Evaluator, Parliamentarian, Timer, Table Topics Master and, of course ,Speakers and Speech Evaluators.
As the panel of judges on Dancing With the Stars-Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli-doles out numbered scores, the evaluators in the meeting of LibOrators are diligently offering helpful, thoughtful, constructive evaluations to help others improve their speaking skills. By doing so, the evaluators are incrementally working their way through Leadership Manuals.
Having said that, the reality is--there is little comparison to the two activities. One is sheer entertainment. The other has much more value and that value is for the long term.
“Our” guys will take the speech projects, one at a time in any order they choose, and they will build a skill set that will serve them in their daily lives FOREVER. They will use their leadership to influence other prisoners in positive, constructive, helpful ways. For the Toastmaster members who make it to the streets, they can hold membership in clubs and continue their personal development for as long as they live! That is a long term plan!
As for Monday nights, our Area Governor, Irene Jones, and new member Velda Koehler and I will continue to wait patiently at the Gatehouse to be escorted to the meetings. When we are returned from the club’s activity, we will continue to gather outside to brag “our” guys up, note their progress and whether their shirttails were tucked in or their pants were pressed…and we will continue to be their motherly-or grandmotherly-cheering squad.
We could be anywhere on Monday nights. We could park on our sofas with big bowls of popcorn to be entertained by ballroom dancing. But that would never do for any of the three of us. We think the REAL entertainment lies in participating in the Monday night meetings of LibOrators 986233 at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. We are so proud of our association with this club and we laud its members, as well as the Club Coordinator, for all the personal growth and development it has been our pleasure to witness over the past few years.
In our considered opinion, for Monday night’s lineup, the REAL STARS appear on TSCI-NE, not ABC-TV!
Connie Baum
Not everyone tunes in. There is a dedicated group of men who are incarcerated at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution who prepare a meeting room by heating water for coffee. They hang a banner and its accompanying ribbons. One will find an interesting new word for increasing vocabulary and they will prepare a list of duties to be performed at the gathering; they match names to duties in an organized, well orchestrated manner.
When it is time for the Toastmaster meeting to begin, men stream in across the yard from their housing units to come for a couple of hours of education and social time. The men are not the only ones who attend. There are three women who arrive through the Gatehouse to be a part of the meeting. Technically, the women are considered to be guests. None of the three considers herself a guest, however. We all three think we are just “another one of the guys.”
While Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris host their program, we have a Toastmaster who also serves as a host, with the help of his General Evaluator, Parliamentarian, Timer, Table Topics Master and, of course ,Speakers and Speech Evaluators.
As the panel of judges on Dancing With the Stars-Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli-doles out numbered scores, the evaluators in the meeting of LibOrators are diligently offering helpful, thoughtful, constructive evaluations to help others improve their speaking skills. By doing so, the evaluators are incrementally working their way through Leadership Manuals.
Having said that, the reality is--there is little comparison to the two activities. One is sheer entertainment. The other has much more value and that value is for the long term.
“Our” guys will take the speech projects, one at a time in any order they choose, and they will build a skill set that will serve them in their daily lives FOREVER. They will use their leadership to influence other prisoners in positive, constructive, helpful ways. For the Toastmaster members who make it to the streets, they can hold membership in clubs and continue their personal development for as long as they live! That is a long term plan!
As for Monday nights, our Area Governor, Irene Jones, and new member Velda Koehler and I will continue to wait patiently at the Gatehouse to be escorted to the meetings. When we are returned from the club’s activity, we will continue to gather outside to brag “our” guys up, note their progress and whether their shirttails were tucked in or their pants were pressed…and we will continue to be their motherly-or grandmotherly-cheering squad.
We could be anywhere on Monday nights. We could park on our sofas with big bowls of popcorn to be entertained by ballroom dancing. But that would never do for any of the three of us. We think the REAL entertainment lies in participating in the Monday night meetings of LibOrators 986233 at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. We are so proud of our association with this club and we laud its members, as well as the Club Coordinator, for all the personal growth and development it has been our pleasure to witness over the past few years.
In our considered opinion, for Monday night’s lineup, the REAL STARS appear on TSCI-NE, not ABC-TV!
Connie Baum
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
An Iota of Forgiveness
Escorted by a uniform officer, the three of us from the streets arrived at our meeting room at the prison amidst cheering and clapping. Every week we are greeted by this magnificent welcoming committee as we join our fellow LibOrators for the regular weekly meeting of Toastmasters, LibOrators at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.
The Sargeant-At-Arms brought the meeting to order. There was a joke to bring the house down; there were the requisite reports from the officers, which included the word for the night: "iota" and any synonym which could be substituted to mean small. Then a hush fell over the room as the educational portion of the meeting got underway.
The first speaker was a seasoned orator. He has held every office, he has gone through every manual and he hopes to hit the streets soon. This was billed as his last speech to this club. He spoke eloquently of forgiveness. As he talked, I thought to myself how glad I was NOT to be his evaluator. His evaluator found himself in a place where it would be difficult to find anything in this speech to correct. He got a standing ovation when his 7 minutes were up. He was modest but you could see by his face that he was pleased to be recognized for his abilities to charm an audience with good content and confident presentation.
Speaker #2 was amazed to discover that Speaker #1 had chosen the same topic, unbeknownst to one another. He approached forgiveness in a completely different way. We felt his nervousness; this fellow is a novice who accepts responsibility for club leadership and prepares carefully for each speaking project in his manual.
There were other speeches, too; each was unique. We heard a man's first speech, The Ice Breaker, and his story wrenched our hearts. A veteran talked about the Viet Nam war-this man is very close to earning his first Competent Communicator Award. He made me so proud.
Even the evaluators did a great job of lovingly pointing out where improvements could be made and they impressed the Timer by using their alloted time but not taking too long!
The Table Topics Master invited some seasoned speakers, then some visitors and those visitors were positively inspiring to those of us who have done those nerve-wracking 2 minute thinking-on-your-feet exercises!
During our break I had a most interesting conversation about forgiveness with a man who is serving a life sentence. His attitude is remarkable. His life is a complete lesson for others to emulate, if they want to become their best selves. I marvelled to myself that I would hold in such high regard a man who will never leave the prison. At one time I would not have dreamed it to be possible. This man has decided to change the way he thinks, the way he behaves, the way he lives his life. He told me that it took a tragedy and this trip to prison to bring him to this place in his life. Now that he is IN prison, he can be a role model for other incarcerated men. How noble is he?
Even one iota of forgiveness could help any of us.
One way of addressing forgiveness is with The Healing Codes . If forgiveness is an issue for you or someone you love, I offer to you that you might seriously consider The Healing Codes .
Connie Baum
The Sargeant-At-Arms brought the meeting to order. There was a joke to bring the house down; there were the requisite reports from the officers, which included the word for the night: "iota" and any synonym which could be substituted to mean small. Then a hush fell over the room as the educational portion of the meeting got underway.
The first speaker was a seasoned orator. He has held every office, he has gone through every manual and he hopes to hit the streets soon. This was billed as his last speech to this club. He spoke eloquently of forgiveness. As he talked, I thought to myself how glad I was NOT to be his evaluator. His evaluator found himself in a place where it would be difficult to find anything in this speech to correct. He got a standing ovation when his 7 minutes were up. He was modest but you could see by his face that he was pleased to be recognized for his abilities to charm an audience with good content and confident presentation.
Speaker #2 was amazed to discover that Speaker #1 had chosen the same topic, unbeknownst to one another. He approached forgiveness in a completely different way. We felt his nervousness; this fellow is a novice who accepts responsibility for club leadership and prepares carefully for each speaking project in his manual.
There were other speeches, too; each was unique. We heard a man's first speech, The Ice Breaker, and his story wrenched our hearts. A veteran talked about the Viet Nam war-this man is very close to earning his first Competent Communicator Award. He made me so proud.
Even the evaluators did a great job of lovingly pointing out where improvements could be made and they impressed the Timer by using their alloted time but not taking too long!
The Table Topics Master invited some seasoned speakers, then some visitors and those visitors were positively inspiring to those of us who have done those nerve-wracking 2 minute thinking-on-your-feet exercises!
During our break I had a most interesting conversation about forgiveness with a man who is serving a life sentence. His attitude is remarkable. His life is a complete lesson for others to emulate, if they want to become their best selves. I marvelled to myself that I would hold in such high regard a man who will never leave the prison. At one time I would not have dreamed it to be possible. This man has decided to change the way he thinks, the way he behaves, the way he lives his life. He told me that it took a tragedy and this trip to prison to bring him to this place in his life. Now that he is IN prison, he can be a role model for other incarcerated men. How noble is he?
Even one iota of forgiveness could help any of us.
One way of addressing forgiveness is with The Healing Codes . If forgiveness is an issue for you or someone you love, I offer to you that you might seriously consider The Healing Codes .
Connie Baum
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Healthy Impact?
People are one of my passions. I crave people the way some crave chocolate or potato chips. Each person on the planet is unique, special and evolving.
To fuel my passion, I volunteer as the Sponsor for a Toastmasters Club at the local State Prison. Toastmasters is an international club and its purpose is to help men and women all over the globe to speak well, think on their feet, keep to a time frame, and express themselves well in business, in private conversation, and in the public eye. It is well structured and formulated to take any person through a series of manuals from the most basic skills to the most advanced, even professional, levels. Education is Toastmasters' cornerstone. New members quickly and simultaneously travel both the Communication and Leadership tracks.
Every meeting is delightful, entertaining, informative and exciting. Mondays are special because Monday is the regular meeting time for LibOrators 986233 at the Tecumseh State Correctional Facility.
But last night knocked our socks off!
The membership crowded cheerily into the small meeting room. The Sargeant At Arms and his assistants had arranged tables and chairs brought from other meeting rooms and set up everything in an orderly fashion. There was a pair of rosters to be signed as the members and guests entered the meeting, there was a pot of coffee and a cooler full of water. I am always impressed at how hospitable these inmates are! Hanging proudly from the ceiling at the front of the room was our club banner with all our hard-earned ribbons. The lectern and gavel were at the ready.
There were three of us from the streets, all women. One woman is our Toastmasters' Area Governor, another is a new member, and there is yours truly. Each of us is old enough to be these fellows' grandmothers. They treat us like royalty, bringing us coffee or water and refills and reminding us how glad they are we came for the meeting, asking about our weekends, smiling broadly and pumping our hands with firm handshakes.
Last night's speeches were quite varied. There was a comical speech about a pair of lost glasses. One man spoke about perspective. Another man somberly retraced his life, starting with a tragic accident-he had been a tricycle riding 5 year old, struck by a milk truck. One young man explained that his drug habit had begun under the thumb of his own parents, who encouraged him to experiment with marijuana.
The courage of his sharing that story so publicly was remarkable. No wonder he is making such long strides in his life; he is working diligently with Toastmasters as well as the 7th Step program in order to rehabilitate his life. He has recognized and honored his need and desire for change .
The Table Topics portion of the meeting was pure fun. Everyone had a chance to speak. It was lighthearted and the men encouraged one another throughout. The General Evaluation was deemed to be quite good. We all need to improve our grammar and lower our use of 'um' and 'y'know' with a bow to Caroline Kennedy.
The KICKER was that one of the members who came for a time, fell away and returned, told several of us that he had met with the Parole Board. He declared that without his Toastmasters experience, he would never have had the courage to face the Parole Board. With a big smile, he said, "I would have had my face to the floor. But because I have had Toastmasters to help me, I could look the people on the Board in the eye with confidence."
This underscores the impact that can take place when one follows his passion.
Another of my passions is health. I want to stay healthy for a very long time so I can continue my Monday 'ritual' of attending Toastmasters and seeing this kind of progress. I'll do that, of course, by following the regimen I have mentioned to you so many times on this blog. By now you understand you, too, can enjoy the vibrant good health I do by doing some or all of the things I have done.
HERE IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO BEGIN YOUR HEALTHY JOURNEY: The Healing Codes
Connie Baum
To fuel my passion, I volunteer as the Sponsor for a Toastmasters Club at the local State Prison. Toastmasters is an international club and its purpose is to help men and women all over the globe to speak well, think on their feet, keep to a time frame, and express themselves well in business, in private conversation, and in the public eye. It is well structured and formulated to take any person through a series of manuals from the most basic skills to the most advanced, even professional, levels. Education is Toastmasters' cornerstone. New members quickly and simultaneously travel both the Communication and Leadership tracks.
Every meeting is delightful, entertaining, informative and exciting. Mondays are special because Monday is the regular meeting time for LibOrators 986233 at the Tecumseh State Correctional Facility.
But last night knocked our socks off!
The membership crowded cheerily into the small meeting room. The Sargeant At Arms and his assistants had arranged tables and chairs brought from other meeting rooms and set up everything in an orderly fashion. There was a pair of rosters to be signed as the members and guests entered the meeting, there was a pot of coffee and a cooler full of water. I am always impressed at how hospitable these inmates are! Hanging proudly from the ceiling at the front of the room was our club banner with all our hard-earned ribbons. The lectern and gavel were at the ready.
There were three of us from the streets, all women. One woman is our Toastmasters' Area Governor, another is a new member, and there is yours truly. Each of us is old enough to be these fellows' grandmothers. They treat us like royalty, bringing us coffee or water and refills and reminding us how glad they are we came for the meeting, asking about our weekends, smiling broadly and pumping our hands with firm handshakes.
Last night's speeches were quite varied. There was a comical speech about a pair of lost glasses. One man spoke about perspective. Another man somberly retraced his life, starting with a tragic accident-he had been a tricycle riding 5 year old, struck by a milk truck. One young man explained that his drug habit had begun under the thumb of his own parents, who encouraged him to experiment with marijuana.
The courage of his sharing that story so publicly was remarkable. No wonder he is making such long strides in his life; he is working diligently with Toastmasters as well as the 7th Step program in order to rehabilitate his life. He has recognized and honored his need and desire for change .
The Table Topics portion of the meeting was pure fun. Everyone had a chance to speak. It was lighthearted and the men encouraged one another throughout. The General Evaluation was deemed to be quite good. We all need to improve our grammar and lower our use of 'um' and 'y'know' with a bow to Caroline Kennedy.
The KICKER was that one of the members who came for a time, fell away and returned, told several of us that he had met with the Parole Board. He declared that without his Toastmasters experience, he would never have had the courage to face the Parole Board. With a big smile, he said, "I would have had my face to the floor. But because I have had Toastmasters to help me, I could look the people on the Board in the eye with confidence."
This underscores the impact that can take place when one follows his passion.
Another of my passions is health. I want to stay healthy for a very long time so I can continue my Monday 'ritual' of attending Toastmasters and seeing this kind of progress. I'll do that, of course, by following the regimen I have mentioned to you so many times on this blog. By now you understand you, too, can enjoy the vibrant good health I do by doing some or all of the things I have done.
HERE IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO BEGIN YOUR HEALTHY JOURNEY: The Healing Codes
Connie Baum
Monday, November 3, 2008
Do You Know What Month It Is?
November is Native American Indian Month.
We observed this occasion in Grand Style: we attended a Powwow at the invitation of the Native American Social Club Association (NASCA) on the campus of the Tecumseh State Correctional Facility near our home.
Our Indian hosts were as gracious as ever, if not moreso. We were greeted warmly as we arrived. We were offered hot chocolate and soda until it seemed to drizzle out our ears, and the men seemed genuinely grateful we chose to spend Saturday evening with them.
There was the traditional drum, of course. My son, who is of Cheyenne and Danish descent, was honored to sit with the drummers for the entire Powwow! He thoroughly enjoyed his time with the men and although he knew some of the fellows, he made new friends around the drum.
One lone dancer wore regalia. Sometimes I grieve that the inmates are not allowed the regalia from their own tribes...it must feel to them like being a priest and not wearing a collar. But the dancer who did have regalia had a bustle and a headdress. There were shiny silver earrings with beadwork on them dangling from both his pierced ears. He also had bright blue mocassins, which had been made for him by the artistic hands of an Indian brother. That artist was not dancing that night, for he is in mourning. The dancer also carried the Dance Stick and the Feathers. He wore colorful beaded wrist bands and his knees were covered with bells which jangled as he danced and moved. He danced with passion from the beginning drumbeats to the last.
The Master of Ceremonies announced there would be a dance to honor the women of the group. Each woman was to choose a partner with whom to dance. I chose a tall man with long dark hair and a brightly colored shirt with the club's logo on it. He seemed embarrassed and told me that he really could not dance. I laughed and responded, "Hey! I'm PINK; what would I know about how to do heya?" He grinned and took my hand. We stepped into the dance circle with the others. The dancer who wore the regalia held his Dance Stick over each woman and danced near to us as the song was drummed. It was a high honor for each female there, to be recognized as a woman, as a guest, as a dancer.
At the appointed time, the guests were invited to the buffet table. The men in charge of serving the food had carefully and patiently opened individual packets of chips and placed bean dip and cheese spread over the middle of each. They looked like square plates from a fancy-schmancy eatery, replete with tri-fold paper towels from a dispenser. There was a host for each guest to fetch soda, spoons, more napkins--whatever was necessary for the perfect dining experience. Just in case we'd not had our fill, someone came around to hand out individual packets of peanuts! Our hosts lingered to chat as we ate together. It would have been difficult to distinguish who enjoyed themselves more-the hosts or the guests.
The hour approached when the party had to end. The announcement came that there would be one more song. The entire company of people drew close to the drum for the Freedom Song. The drum was louder than it had been all night and the singing was not only louder, but was also higher pitched. The passion and love and energy that filled that gymnasium could have lit the whole of New York City for a week!
As the drumming and singing filled the air, the Dancer handed me the Dance Stick! I wasn't sure what it meant, really, but I knew I had received a great honor. Tears stung my eyes and dripped down my cheeks. The Dancer smiled at me and nodded. I smiled back but I could barely see for the tears. They were tears of joy. Later I learned that the feathers in the Dance Stick had belonged to the Dancer's ancestors. He had honored his ancestors and me by allowing me to hold the Dance Stick at the high point of the Freedom Song! With that information, my heart melted.
There were goodbye handshakes and hugs and last minute thank yous. Then we walked out of that environment into a still and starlit night. The air was cool and the wind had been hushed. Hearts had been healed that night. Honor had been given and received. Love was all around. It was palpable.
Here's hoping you can observe Native American Indian Month with joy and passion. If you are looking for some way to make it meaningful you could view an Indian art exhibit. Give yourself the treat of visiting the website of one of the most amazing artists on earth. You will be honored for your effort. This site features the pointillistic impressions of portrait artist, Ralph P. Brown, a Mohawk Indian: Mirrored Windows .
Connie Baum
We observed this occasion in Grand Style: we attended a Powwow at the invitation of the Native American Social Club Association (NASCA) on the campus of the Tecumseh State Correctional Facility near our home.
Our Indian hosts were as gracious as ever, if not moreso. We were greeted warmly as we arrived. We were offered hot chocolate and soda until it seemed to drizzle out our ears, and the men seemed genuinely grateful we chose to spend Saturday evening with them.
There was the traditional drum, of course. My son, who is of Cheyenne and Danish descent, was honored to sit with the drummers for the entire Powwow! He thoroughly enjoyed his time with the men and although he knew some of the fellows, he made new friends around the drum.
One lone dancer wore regalia. Sometimes I grieve that the inmates are not allowed the regalia from their own tribes...it must feel to them like being a priest and not wearing a collar. But the dancer who did have regalia had a bustle and a headdress. There were shiny silver earrings with beadwork on them dangling from both his pierced ears. He also had bright blue mocassins, which had been made for him by the artistic hands of an Indian brother. That artist was not dancing that night, for he is in mourning. The dancer also carried the Dance Stick and the Feathers. He wore colorful beaded wrist bands and his knees were covered with bells which jangled as he danced and moved. He danced with passion from the beginning drumbeats to the last.
The Master of Ceremonies announced there would be a dance to honor the women of the group. Each woman was to choose a partner with whom to dance. I chose a tall man with long dark hair and a brightly colored shirt with the club's logo on it. He seemed embarrassed and told me that he really could not dance. I laughed and responded, "Hey! I'm PINK; what would I know about how to do heya?" He grinned and took my hand. We stepped into the dance circle with the others. The dancer who wore the regalia held his Dance Stick over each woman and danced near to us as the song was drummed. It was a high honor for each female there, to be recognized as a woman, as a guest, as a dancer.
At the appointed time, the guests were invited to the buffet table. The men in charge of serving the food had carefully and patiently opened individual packets of chips and placed bean dip and cheese spread over the middle of each. They looked like square plates from a fancy-schmancy eatery, replete with tri-fold paper towels from a dispenser. There was a host for each guest to fetch soda, spoons, more napkins--whatever was necessary for the perfect dining experience. Just in case we'd not had our fill, someone came around to hand out individual packets of peanuts! Our hosts lingered to chat as we ate together. It would have been difficult to distinguish who enjoyed themselves more-the hosts or the guests.
The hour approached when the party had to end. The announcement came that there would be one more song. The entire company of people drew close to the drum for the Freedom Song. The drum was louder than it had been all night and the singing was not only louder, but was also higher pitched. The passion and love and energy that filled that gymnasium could have lit the whole of New York City for a week!
As the drumming and singing filled the air, the Dancer handed me the Dance Stick! I wasn't sure what it meant, really, but I knew I had received a great honor. Tears stung my eyes and dripped down my cheeks. The Dancer smiled at me and nodded. I smiled back but I could barely see for the tears. They were tears of joy. Later I learned that the feathers in the Dance Stick had belonged to the Dancer's ancestors. He had honored his ancestors and me by allowing me to hold the Dance Stick at the high point of the Freedom Song! With that information, my heart melted.
There were goodbye handshakes and hugs and last minute thank yous. Then we walked out of that environment into a still and starlit night. The air was cool and the wind had been hushed. Hearts had been healed that night. Honor had been given and received. Love was all around. It was palpable.
Here's hoping you can observe Native American Indian Month with joy and passion. If you are looking for some way to make it meaningful you could view an Indian art exhibit. Give yourself the treat of visiting the website of one of the most amazing artists on earth. You will be honored for your effort. This site features the pointillistic impressions of portrait artist, Ralph P. Brown, a Mohawk Indian: Mirrored Windows .
Connie Baum
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Seven Steps
When we moved to my favorite husband's home town it never occured to me that the "center" of our social life would revolve around the State Correctional Institution. But it seems it has. We were invited to attend a Symposium there for the 7th Step Program.
We had no idea what 7th Step is or what it accomplishes. We were in for such a treat!
No doubt you have your concept of how it is to enter a prison. I can assure you this facility is not as frightening as you might imagine. We began our evening at the Gate House, where officers were congenial and we exchanged friendly conversation. We were searched for contraband- like chewing gum and other things inmates ought not to have. Then we were escorted to the gym for the event. There were any number of incarcerated men who greeted us en route. When we arrived at our destination I was astonished to see every member of the group lined up like soldiers, waiting to welcome and thank us for coming. They squeezed and pumped our hands in warm, firm handshakes; most were up for a quick hug and everyone was smiling! The tables and chairs were lined up - just so - and on each table we found a program for the evening's event and their Newsletter. The art work for these had been done by talented artists of the group.
Some of the guys had familiar faces because they are also Toastmasters and we had met some when we attended Indian Symposiums at the facility. Others were not so familiar but they were gracious and generous hosts.
There were two other guests besides Norm and myself. Both men spoke eloquently and directly about the men's accomplishments. One is a professor of law at Peru State College. The other is a State Senator from Omaha. Both are good and faithful friends of their hosts, having addressed them on many, many occasions in the year of the club's existence.
It took a long time to give out all the awards because every man in the room received recognition and two generous rounds of very loud applause. These are men who probably have not received much in the way of recognition in their past and were happy to be honored for becoming better people. One man, a Sr., received a certificate that had his name written as a 'Jr. ' His face lit up and he announced, "I am doing this program for my family. I will make sure that my son, Michael, Jr. gets this award. It is his." The crowd roared their approval by giving him thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
The purpose of the 7th Step organization is to make a difference and reduce recidivism. The seven steps help the men to "get real" and "man up" in order to give quality to their lives inside the walls and make productive lives on the outside when they are released. The goal is FREEDOM in the best sense of the word. I asked several of the fellows about their plans upon their release and they were eager to tell about what they have in mind. What impressed me about that was everyone's sense of wanting to give back to society in positive ways. They are ready to be accountable, to serve by teaching others, to work hard to make society a better place to be.
I have to mention about our meal. It was listed prominently on the program and I wondered how on earth they would manage that with skimpy finances and all. Well, I needn't have given it a thought. When it was time to eat, we were invited to the buffet table, where there was a selection of cheeses, sausage and chips and cookies. Of course, there was never a moment during the entire evening when any guest had an empty cup. We were offered kool aid, soda pop, coffee, water and these were bottomless cups!
As the speakers shared with us and as the certificates were awarded, my mind wandered to the lessons of The Healing Codes . I understand that the reason our jails and prisons are so full is that so many hearts have been wounded. I can't help wondering how much better this whole world would be if only our hearts could be healed.
I can't speak for Norm, but for my part, my heart was deeply touched last night.
The Healing Codes
We had no idea what 7th Step is or what it accomplishes. We were in for such a treat!
No doubt you have your concept of how it is to enter a prison. I can assure you this facility is not as frightening as you might imagine. We began our evening at the Gate House, where officers were congenial and we exchanged friendly conversation. We were searched for contraband- like chewing gum and other things inmates ought not to have. Then we were escorted to the gym for the event. There were any number of incarcerated men who greeted us en route. When we arrived at our destination I was astonished to see every member of the group lined up like soldiers, waiting to welcome and thank us for coming. They squeezed and pumped our hands in warm, firm handshakes; most were up for a quick hug and everyone was smiling! The tables and chairs were lined up - just so - and on each table we found a program for the evening's event and their Newsletter. The art work for these had been done by talented artists of the group.
Some of the guys had familiar faces because they are also Toastmasters and we had met some when we attended Indian Symposiums at the facility. Others were not so familiar but they were gracious and generous hosts.
There were two other guests besides Norm and myself. Both men spoke eloquently and directly about the men's accomplishments. One is a professor of law at Peru State College. The other is a State Senator from Omaha. Both are good and faithful friends of their hosts, having addressed them on many, many occasions in the year of the club's existence.
It took a long time to give out all the awards because every man in the room received recognition and two generous rounds of very loud applause. These are men who probably have not received much in the way of recognition in their past and were happy to be honored for becoming better people. One man, a Sr., received a certificate that had his name written as a 'Jr. ' His face lit up and he announced, "I am doing this program for my family. I will make sure that my son, Michael, Jr. gets this award. It is his." The crowd roared their approval by giving him thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
The purpose of the 7th Step organization is to make a difference and reduce recidivism. The seven steps help the men to "get real" and "man up" in order to give quality to their lives inside the walls and make productive lives on the outside when they are released. The goal is FREEDOM in the best sense of the word. I asked several of the fellows about their plans upon their release and they were eager to tell about what they have in mind. What impressed me about that was everyone's sense of wanting to give back to society in positive ways. They are ready to be accountable, to serve by teaching others, to work hard to make society a better place to be.
I have to mention about our meal. It was listed prominently on the program and I wondered how on earth they would manage that with skimpy finances and all. Well, I needn't have given it a thought. When it was time to eat, we were invited to the buffet table, where there was a selection of cheeses, sausage and chips and cookies. Of course, there was never a moment during the entire evening when any guest had an empty cup. We were offered kool aid, soda pop, coffee, water and these were bottomless cups!
As the speakers shared with us and as the certificates were awarded, my mind wandered to the lessons of The Healing Codes . I understand that the reason our jails and prisons are so full is that so many hearts have been wounded. I can't help wondering how much better this whole world would be if only our hearts could be healed.
I can't speak for Norm, but for my part, my heart was deeply touched last night.
The Healing Codes
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