NOW THAT'S RURAL!

OPEN YOU EYES, LOOK WITHIN.

ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH

THE LIFE YOU ARE LIVING?

Bob Marley

     I spent part of a morning and afternoon with a room full of women.  All HEU home makers at the district meeting for Barber, Kingman, and Pratt counties, here in Medicine Lodge.  Not exactly having coffee with the guys.  It was an interesting day however.

     The first speaker was Ms. Wheelchair Kansas 2013, Angel Shaver.  Her topic was MAINTAINING AN ATTITUDE WITH GRATITUDE.  The story of how she was on her way to the first La Maze class with her husband for her second baby turned out to be a day the changed her life forever.  After dropping her first child off with the baby sitter they came over the hill on a hilly Oklahoma road only to slide on gravel onto the highway and be T Boned by an oncoming Suburban.  She was Life Watched to Tulsa for trauma surgery and delivery of the baby 10 1/2 weeks premature.

      She was kept in an induced coma for 6 weeks.  An Orthopedic doctor that happened to be in Tulsa for a short time before going to California was able to take her pelvis which was broken free and one side turned 90 degrees, and turn it back and pinned it together.  It was not known if she would recognise anyone again and the ability to talk again was in doubt.

     Returning to Kansas which is one of only two states with a brain recovery and therapy program she has been able to articulate and function normally.  Accept for the fact that she is in a wheel chair.

     She was inspired by the writings of a paralysed writer about the ability to maintain an attitude of gratitude.  She was truly an inspirational lady who made you dismiss your ailments and start keeping track of the blessings that you have everyday.

     During lunch we were entertained by the FCC Singers:  Richard and Anita Poland and Tom & Jo Carr.

     The afternoon speaker was underwritten by the Kansas Humanities Council.  Ron Wilson, Director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University gave his talk on NOW THAT'S RURAL: ENTREPRENEURS AND INNOVATORS WHO SHAPED KANSAS COMMUNITIES. 

      Ron does a weekly essay on people in Kansas for radio and newspapers around the state.  He talked about people who pursued an idea and created thriving businesses some doing business world wide right here in Kansas.

     Ron Wilson is also known as the Kansas Poet Lariat.  Upon borrowing my hat so to be in character did one of his poems for us.  Ron lives outside Manhattan on a farm that they are in the 4th generation on and the homestead family was in the 5th generation on.  The Lazy T Ranch is also an Agri Tourism business with entertainment and rental facilities plus a Bed and Breakfast in the old farm house.

      For those of you that do not know what HEU is it is Homemakers Extension Units in each county.  Robin Eubank was the host Extension agent from Barber County, Jodi Drake from Pratt County and Andrea Wood from Kingman County.

     NOW THAT'S RURAL