A Letter From Owego~

The mail on this dry, hot summer day in mid-July was much the same as it always is.  Two pieces of junk mail, the city bill, the cable bill, and an offer for someone to come from the local funeral home and talk to me about pre-paid funeral plans (lol, too late on THAT one...five steps ahead of you, already taken care of).  It would have been your ordinary "run of the mill" mail call save for one envelope with the postmark "Owego, NY".  My face lit up immediately 'cause I knew exactly what it was about.  Someone had received a "flat person" and was writing to tell me about it.  Guess I owe you guys an explanation of sorts, so here goes.


Back in late-May, just as soon as school was out, I took off on a one-person journey by car to the state of Maine.  It was a "bucket list" wish of mine to go there to see my very first lighthouse.  And when I was able to accomplish that on May 30, 2012, I could FINALLY check off the number one thing on my list.  But Cape Elizabeth, Maine wasn't the ONLY place I was looking forward to seeing.  There was also this little village in southern New York state that I was going to visit for the very first time~Owego, Tioga County, New York.


Back in late February, as I was planning my journey and mapping out my daily destinations and resting places for the night, Owego looked like the logical place to stop for the 3rd day out from Kansas.  I had remembered reading online about Owego last fall when a CNN news story told  about the devastating flooding they had endured during the month of September when the banks of the Susquehanna River overflowed and inundated not only Owego but other places as well.  The village of Owego suffered major damage to many of its homes and businesses.  A photo from September 9th of last year showed the extent of the flood waters in Owego's business district.

Yet even as Owego flooded, the people stuck together in the kind of fashion that you would only expect from folks who were living there, digging out from the water and the mud, beginning their lives over once again.  By late December, they were starting to return to a small sense of normalcy and by mid-May when I called about reservations for a place to stay, they were back to "business as usual".  


I wanted to take something along with me as a gift for the children of Owego but I didn't know what would really be appropriate.  As I was explaining my trip plans to the students in one of my classes at Lincoln Elementary here in Hutch as well as telling them about the flood in Tioga County, one of the kids asked a very good question.


"Did the floods take away the library books Mrs. Miller?  Do the kids have books to read?", one asked me.  


Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it I had made a call to the Coburn Free Library in Owego to ask just that question.  The librarian told me that the damage in the library had been limited to the collection in the basement, but "yes" they would be glad for the offering of some new children's books.  So, tucked into my backpacks were a dozen or so copies of books that some of my students here in Kansas helped me to pick out.  Oh and yes, the flat people.


I enlisted the help of a dear friend, and colleague at Lincoln Elementary where I teach here in Hutchinson, to have her students make "mini-replicas" of themselves, otherwise known as "flat people". (thanks to my good friend and their teacher, Pat Lillard)  I would pack the 15 "pretend" kids into my back packs as well and take them along to New York with me. Once there, they would in turn be given to people who patronized the library along with a letter with my name and address in case they would choose to write us back and their very own Kansas postcard.  Our hope was to make new friends and somehow in some very small way to let the people of Owego, especially the children, know that 2,000 miles away, far out in the middle of the United States, there were school kids in the town of Hutchinson, Kansas who had compassion for them and wanted them to know that they cared.  


With all of the other things that have happened for me this summer, I kind of had forgotten about the chance to hear back from people if they should "adopt" one of the "flat people" that  I  had left with the librarians that rainy evening, now nearly 2 months ago.  Receiving the letter in today's mail lifted my tired spirits and made me very happy to be able to know that someone was a recipient of the children's act of kindness.


It was a sweet letter, handwritten on front and back and tucked neatly into a pretty envelope.  The woman writing it sent such kind words in her message.  She plans to use her "flat person" as a bookmark in one of the many books she has been reading lately.  She said something else that made me pause a moment and think about the power that one person has to make a difference in the life of another.  


Her words.....I am so grateful for my wonderful bookmark.  I could go out and buy a book mark (as I usually have at least 4 books in the works at a time), because I am a very avid reader, but THIS one is very special.  Every time I open my book, I will remember you wonderful and thoughtful children.  I even looked up on the map to see where Hutchinson, Kansas was located.  Be happy that you have such  good and caring teachers and remember that Owego, New York highly appreciates you.  


All it took to make a difference in the life of this woman from Owego was a small piece of white construction paper, some crayolas and scissors, and the imagination of a 7-year old kid.  That's all~One small child made this woman's day.  As a teacher, I cannot count the times when I have spoken with students about how their individual actions, good OR bad, can affect others.  And although the number "one" doesn't seem to have a whole lot of power on its own it can most certainly do SOMETHING in respect to another.  The little second-grader whose "flat person" the letter's writer received, made an  impact upon this woman's life and as far as I'm concerned gives new credence to the idea of "the power of ONE".  


Friends, for whatever it is worth, (maybe not much LOL) this is my opinion.  As I enter my 35th year of being a teacher, I want to reiterate something that I say over, and over, and yet over again.  The very best lessons that a teacher can teach their students will absolutely NEVER be found in our lesson plans or the teacher's guide for the day.  All of us, teachers and parents alike, need to be teaching our children the value, the merit of being good citizens, of learning how to care for others in this world, especially those here in our own country.  Knowing how to be kind and considerate of others will take these young people a long ways in their futures. Not to minimize the obvious importance, the crucial need, to be able to read, write, do math or understand science and social studies, being shown by example how to be decent and thoughtful human beings should be equally as important.  


It will be fun to get back to Lincoln in about another month and find the young person whose flat person was picked up by the woman who wrote the letter.  You can rest assured, that little kid will be tickled to find out about it.  Wow, I just thought of something...in this day of email and text messaging, I may have to explain what a letter is!  


My gratitude goes out to a new friend from Owego, NY.  She thanks us for the kindness but perhaps it should be us thanking her for the lesson we learned.  Have a great Friday everyone!

Linda received "flat Scarlett"~the real Scarlett is shown above during the last days of school.

"Flat Kimberly" and I on that very rainy May evening at the Coburn Free Library.

It's a beautiful place with lots of folks who are proud of their community.  Some day I shall return there to see it once more.