Post by Doris McCraw
Over the years I have had some amazing moments and because of the nature of this post I will not post my photo. Many of those have come from my performances for various groups coming into this historic region. Are you thinking that it is the performances that are those moments? While they have been wonderful and exciting, the moments I treasure are the time I get to spend with the attendees and listen to their stories. If you leave your agenda at home and truly listen to these people, without worrying about what you are going to say next or try to impress them with your greatness, you will leave with the special gifts that cannot be reproduced.
1958 Austin-Healey Sprite (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Over the years the groups have varied and composed of all kinds of disciplines. There was a women in construction group, the Studebaker and Austin- Healey groups. All of the attendees were great people. By far however the ones I remember with affection have been the military reunions. I hope you will enjoy some of these stories as much as I do.
For two different years I sang at the memorial service for a WWII group. As I watched these veterans and their families honor those who were not longer with them it brought home how precious these people and their stories could be for the ones who remained behind. I also learned how precious they are for the rest of us.
Another group were a bunch of pilots from WWII in the Pacific theater. If I remember correctly they were p-51 pilots. I played the keyboard as they sang the songs from their time in service. During the banquet that night the gentleman on my right made a point of telling me, “They always talk about those brave young men, hell we were just a bunch of scared shitless kids.” Talk about a paradigm shift. Somehow we don’t think that way of those men. At a second pilot reunion I had the pleasure of walking with a pilot through the miniature reproductions of planes used by the various groups in combat at the Air Force academy. As we walked he told of his bombing missions over southeast Asia and his later trips with his wife to those same areas. He remarked how “when you are bombing from so far above you don’t see what you’re hitting, it is when you see if from the ground it hits you.”
One of the more recent programs was for the USS Ticonderoga reunion. I did a program for the women while the men had their business meeting. That is a fairly common booking for me. I love coming in and sharing the history of the area with these women, interacting with them and bringing as much laughter into the room as possible. This group was gracious enough to invite me to attend their banquet. The speaker was a man who had spent six years in the ‘Hanoi Hilton‘ and then when he returned home he worked as a social worker helping vets who suffered from PSTD and other effects from their time in combat. He somehow made the story of his capture and captivity entertaining and yet deeply moving.
Exterior view of the prisoner of war camp (“Hanoi Hilton”). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I could continue telling you stories that I have heard over the years. Instead I would ask that you listen to the people who have stories to tell, even if they are hesitant to do so. These are the precious gifts we can receive and at the same time give the gift of our listening and caring to those who are speaking. As we are preparing for Memorial Day Weekend hopefully these stories will add to your reason for celebrating this holiday.
Keira's Place 