Participants' Background Stories
Rick's Story
It is a weekend in the late spring of 1967 and a ten-year old boy sits on the porch of his home in suburban Chicago. Surrounding him today, instead of
the usual G.I. Joes or Matchbox cars, are his six-year old sister and two of her girlfriends. They are all engaged in play at some family-centered game
of make believe. When summer comes, in between invading Nazi strongholds as a British commando with his friends and constructing fortresses for
his toy soldiers out of Styrofoam and cardboard, he'll spend many hours with his mother -- grocery shopping, overhearing conversations at the hair
salon (while reading his latest find on the history of the Civil War from the public library), helping hang laundry on the line to dry and engaging in long
talks with her while she irons clothes or tucks him into bed.
Rick has a loving relationship with his father works long hours, sometimes at a second job on the weekends just to make ends meet and so Rick's mom
can be home with the kids. His father isn't like many working class dad's of the time in that he exhibits unconditional love, supports Rick's interest in
music, has minimal interest in sports, goes to church with the family, listens to a wide variety of music and never used profanity in the home. Rick will
learn much from his father -- how to work on cars and do home repairs, that it is important to work hard and stick with a task, that it is better to say
nothing when you have nothing to say, and (for better or worse) to be contrary for the sake of being contrary to popular opinion. These lessons will
serve him well in the future but it is his long hours with his mother, sister, grandmother and aunts that will teach him how to listen and how to enter the
world of his future colleagues and students.
Raine's Story
Across the rolling prairie foothills of southern Alberta, Canada, in the shadowy lap of the Rocky Mountains, a 12-year-old boy writes, "I live in a town
that's two blocks wide. Two blocks wide and who am I?" As he listens to his parent's collections of 70s albums sprawled out on the shag carpet, he
feels a tingle in his fingers and restlessness in his feet knowing that his life will always have a love affair with music and movement. The Chinook winds
howl relentlessly outside as he plans his weekend endeavors: a hike on foot to his uncle's farm with his younger friend from across the street, a
horseback ride with a girl who lives a few blocks away, and hanging out in a nearby fort with his younger friends, mostly girls, while his brother and dad
go fishing. He knows that the only way to combat the boredom of a small prairie town is to escape into a world of creativity and invention, music and
dance, truth or dare, hide and seek. Little does he realize that the path he has constructed before him will not run parallel to any he will cross in his life.
Rebecca's Story
On any given day you could find Rebecca, a young girl from a small South Carolina town, traveling from one home to another. With each home came a
different set of activities, values, and ideals. In the evenings when she was not studying the bones of the body and various other biological topics with
her young single mother who was putting herself through nursing school, you could find her seeking out friends of various ages to talk with. In this home
Rebecca was treated, not as a daughter, but as a friend and was encouraged to thoughtfully consider her situations, choices, and actions. She was
expected to take on as much personal responsibility as possible at any given age. On Friday evenings you could find her enjoying the carefree, playful
environment of her father’s home. Any outings included multiple conversations with various individuals, as in her father’s eyes there was no such thing
as a stranger. In this home, while there was a strict traditional set of rules, Rebecca was encouraged to look for the best in people and love them and life unconditionally. During the rest of the weekend and each afternoon you could find her at her paternal grandparents, who where self-made owners and
managers of several small businesses, including a childcare center. In this home Rebecca was taught the importance and hard work and perseverance,
the joy and value of serving others the positive effects of encouragement, and that true learning experiences come from asking questions. Regardless
of the differences in these homes one message rang true in each, “Rebecca, you can not only be anything you want to be, but you will be a success in
anything you choose.” All of the lessons and beliefs, while often conflicting, melded to create an individual with varied and unique perspectives that
have served her well in both her personal and professional life.
It is a weekend in the late spring of 1967 and a ten-year old boy sits on the porch of his home in suburban Chicago. Surrounding him today, instead of
the usual G.I. Joes or Matchbox cars, are his six-year old sister and two of her girlfriends. They are all engaged in play at some family-centered game
of make believe. When summer comes, in between invading Nazi strongholds as a British commando with his friends and constructing fortresses for
his toy soldiers out of Styrofoam and cardboard, he'll spend many hours with his mother -- grocery shopping, overhearing conversations at the hair
salon (while reading his latest find on the history of the Civil War from the public library), helping hang laundry on the line to dry and engaging in long
talks with her while she irons clothes or tucks him into bed.
Rick has a loving relationship with his father works long hours, sometimes at a second job on the weekends just to make ends meet and so Rick's mom
can be home with the kids. His father isn't like many working class dad's of the time in that he exhibits unconditional love, supports Rick's interest in
music, has minimal interest in sports, goes to church with the family, listens to a wide variety of music and never used profanity in the home. Rick will
learn much from his father -- how to work on cars and do home repairs, that it is important to work hard and stick with a task, that it is better to say
nothing when you have nothing to say, and (for better or worse) to be contrary for the sake of being contrary to popular opinion. These lessons will
serve him well in the future but it is his long hours with his mother, sister, grandmother and aunts that will teach him how to listen and how to enter the
world of his future colleagues and students.
Raine's Story
Across the rolling prairie foothills of southern Alberta, Canada, in the shadowy lap of the Rocky Mountains, a 12-year-old boy writes, "I live in a town
that's two blocks wide. Two blocks wide and who am I?" As he listens to his parent's collections of 70s albums sprawled out on the shag carpet, he
feels a tingle in his fingers and restlessness in his feet knowing that his life will always have a love affair with music and movement. The Chinook winds
howl relentlessly outside as he plans his weekend endeavors: a hike on foot to his uncle's farm with his younger friend from across the street, a
horseback ride with a girl who lives a few blocks away, and hanging out in a nearby fort with his younger friends, mostly girls, while his brother and dad
go fishing. He knows that the only way to combat the boredom of a small prairie town is to escape into a world of creativity and invention, music and
dance, truth or dare, hide and seek. Little does he realize that the path he has constructed before him will not run parallel to any he will cross in his life.
Rebecca's Story
On any given day you could find Rebecca, a young girl from a small South Carolina town, traveling from one home to another. With each home came a
different set of activities, values, and ideals. In the evenings when she was not studying the bones of the body and various other biological topics with
her young single mother who was putting herself through nursing school, you could find her seeking out friends of various ages to talk with. In this home
Rebecca was treated, not as a daughter, but as a friend and was encouraged to thoughtfully consider her situations, choices, and actions. She was
expected to take on as much personal responsibility as possible at any given age. On Friday evenings you could find her enjoying the carefree, playful
environment of her father’s home. Any outings included multiple conversations with various individuals, as in her father’s eyes there was no such thing
as a stranger. In this home, while there was a strict traditional set of rules, Rebecca was encouraged to look for the best in people and love them and life unconditionally. During the rest of the weekend and each afternoon you could find her at her paternal grandparents, who where self-made owners and
managers of several small businesses, including a childcare center. In this home Rebecca was taught the importance and hard work and perseverance,
the joy and value of serving others the positive effects of encouragement, and that true learning experiences come from asking questions. Regardless
of the differences in these homes one message rang true in each, “Rebecca, you can not only be anything you want to be, but you will be a success in
anything you choose.” All of the lessons and beliefs, while often conflicting, melded to create an individual with varied and unique perspectives that
have served her well in both her personal and professional life.