Old Stones and Unlocked Memories

Helping my parents organize their garage I found a few of my forgotten treasures. My love for unique rocks goes back farther than I realized. 

Years ago, when my family lived on Farragut Drive, I remember walking with my mother around the neighborhood. We stopped at a house down the street and my mom was in the drive way talking to the lady who lived there. The woman had a pile of rocks for decoration. One rock in particular caught my eye in the sun. It was a medium sized flat rock with subtle stripes, red freckles and loads of sparkle. I was about six years old at the time and was very familiar with the earth toned rocks from the yard. But I had never seen a rock so beautiful. It glittered in my hands as I studied it. The woman told me that she collected the rocks from places she had visited. She mentioned where the rock had come from but its been so long I don’t remember. She saw how much I liked it and told me I could have it. I was struck by her generosity. I wonder if she would be surprised to know that I still have that rock after all this time.

When I was about seven we had a school field trip to the Science Center. I think it was also supposed to be a sleep over, however, I had to leave early because I had my first communion a church the next morning. I fussed about missing my chance to go to the gift shop. My best friend Laura was there as well and her mother Jan had been one of the chaperones. Jan told my parents she would pick something out from the gift shop for me. While chaperoning she noticed how I gushed over the unique rock specimens, geodes, and crystals. She told my parents she knew exactly what to get me. A few days later she stopped by the house and surprised me with with a geode and an agate slice. The geode, I know I still have but I have misplaced it. I am sure it will resurface one of these days. The agate slice was a brilliant blue with lovely crystal “teeth” in the center. I always remembered what a thoughtful gift that was. 

Years later I would visit Laura in Virginia and she took me to the Natural History museum in Washington DC. We got separated and we she found me again I was talking with a random kid at the museum about how fascinating the rocks were.

Around the time I was fourteen I was at a Catholic middle school. The art teacher was friends with a man named Crowfeather. He was an Apache Indian who spoke the Lakota language. He visited our school with his three children Brandon (Big Bear), Sean (Running Wolf), and Cassie (Wind in Her Hair). Brandon was about my age but his other two children were younger. He visited our school and set up a tipi. Some of us school kids helped set it up and paint designs all over it. I remember some of the other kids complaining because the tipi had been set up on the soccer field so they couldn’t play for a while. I had zero interest in sports but I was completely transfixed with Crowfeather and and his culture. I spent as much time as I could before and after school hanging out with him and his kids just soaking in all in. 

He was at our school for about a week and towards the end of his visit some kids had slashed up the tipi. When I got to school and saw what had happened I was heartbroken. I remember standing outside with Crowfeather and the art teacher. The art teach was upset and I was sobbing. I had been treated to a week of culture, art and education. I couldn’t believe that anyone would destroy something so beautiful. 

“Why would anyone do this?” I stammered.

Crowfeather was calm and remained light hearted. He overlooked the mess and said “It’s not a bad day, its just a technicality”. 

I was reassured by his level headedness. He told me I was sensitive and I will never forget they way he said it. It was one of the only times in my life that that was said to me as a compliment. It felt like an honor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stone. He handed it to me and told me to keep it. It was from the Colorado Rockies. I have always cherished that experience. I wrote down their names all those years ago so I would not forget their kindness.