The Shirts Of Africa
Ok,
I’ll admit it. I pre-planned a “P.S.”;
a “Post script” with purpose. But “TAKE
HEART” those of you who tremble at the thought of having to read a whole day’s blog
entry. This is it! Just this small paragraph and then it’s a quick
little picture book; a few snapshots and a small caption beside each one. When I was packing for Africa I chose my T-shirts
and sweatshirt according to the places I wanted to represent. They represented places with meaning. Like I’ve said before, I don’t usually do
something without meaning behind it. Choosing
my shirts was no different. The ones I
chose covered the states of MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, and ILLINOIS in some fashion
or form. I only brought a few, and then
if you remember, I did laundry on one of the days at Kijani Farm so I could wear them all
again. (See Day#9: "Bulleted Points") The shirts that I wore became a small way that I could show support to those who helped me get to the other side of the planet. So if you feel a
bond to any one of these shirts, then you’ll know that I carried you with me; over
to Kenya, Africa on the flip side!
See
you along The Way…
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| My "Sparr Mall" Sweatshirt From Beautiful Sparr, Michigan |
I got this sweatshirt from a little grocery store that is out in the country (East of Gaylord), and just down the road from where my family lived. You'd have to see it to believe it. They have everything from strawberry jam to chainsaws in a tiny little storefront. It's always been a fun place; back when it was my sisters and I, and now with my cousins.
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| My "Run Clark Lake" Shirt From Last Year's Race (2016) |
This shirt came from Clark Lake, in Southern Michigan's Jackson County. It was the first race I ever ran (7 miles back in 1979-now a 12K race). Since then I've run it almost every year. This area is also where my parents grew up (their roots), and where we have our family reunions.
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| My Shirt That Represents 10 Years Of Camping And Fishing. |
This shirt has a picture of a trout on the front, and this pine tree on the back. It's an actual giant white pine overlooking an actual secret spot, on an actual trout stream that my cousins and I visit every summer when we camp and fish in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula. We love it so much that we had it put on the shirt.
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| My Rockford, Illinois 4th Of July Race Shirt From Last Year (2016) |
Like the Clark Lake race, I've run this 4th of July race almost every year since we've lived in Illinois. It used to be a 10K, but is now a well organized 8K (5 mile) run along the Rock River. Cindy and I lived in Rockford for 23 years. Although we've moved a bit north, we are still connected to it.
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| My Prairie Hill/Willowbrook School Shirt-A Giraffe In The Back |
I've taught 5th grade for 28 years now; all in the same district. For 20 of those years we were a small kindergarten-8th grade school called "Prairie Hill.". I've now taught in the newly built "Willowbrook Middle School" for the last 8 years. I teach with a great team of teachers, and have a ton of good memories from both the kids in the classroom and the players on the Jr. High sport teams.
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| My Willowbrook Middle School Environmental Camp Shirt-Zebras In The Back |
Along with a fellow staff member, we co-lead an environmental club throughout the school year. During the summer we host a four day camp in which we make a craft (a walking staff this year), do out-doorsy stuff, and wade in the local rivers and ponds. It's a great time, and believe it or not we had it just two days after I returned from Africa!
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| My "It's A Beloit Thing"-Turtle Shirt From Beloit, Wisconsin |
My family and I now live a mile from the Wisconsin state line; and Beloit is the closest town north of us. Wisconsin is where I occasionally escape to fish trout streams and explore back water areas that I can "get-a-way" and relax in.
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