Sunset at the Folklife Center

Mark

Here's a picture of Mark, the workcamp leader at Mrs. Raines' house.

Lookout Tower -- 360-degree Views

Also at Pipestem State Park is a Lookout Tower, with gorgeous views .... (David took a panoramic set of images, of which one is above).The group who made it to the top ...

Mini-Golf

After work on Thursday, many of us headed to play mini-golf at the nearby (and astonishingly large) Pipestem State Park.

Saying Goodbye is Hard

We finished up at Iris' and Tommy's house on Thursday afternoon (all but a bit of trim in the back, which a few of us polished off Friday first thing). They hugged all of us, tearfully, repeatedly exclaiming "I could keep every one of you!"

Before and After

The bottom shot is of Iris' and Tommy's house right after we arrived; the bottom one is what it looked like after we finished.

Mutual Compassion

As humans, we constantly struggle with our identities. I am a biracial woman. I am black and white. I have grown up in a predominately all white town and have been told that I am either too black or too white. I have rarely been accepted as both. In fact, the most obvious identification people make is that I am not white. Yet, what is difficult about that, is that I am white. I am half white, and in an all white world it is intimidating to be different and I am struggling to find my place in this world. I am constantly searching for a place or a group of people that will accept me for who I am. And with this disconnect and perceived lack of acceptance comes fear. I know that I obtain only a few strong connections to people in this world, and it is easy to feel alone because I am different. I feared that by coming to West Virginia, where only 3.6% of the population is African-American, my difference would be highlighted and I wouldn't be accepted.

Yet, I have been pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and warm welcomes that I have received during my time here. I have made the effort to introduce myself and in return, I have been greeted with open arms and smiles. These gestures were a total surprise to me because I was expecting blatant racism that would break me down, fiber by fiber, and cause me to mentally deteriorate. But I have had the best experience here. Working with Iris and Tommy, the owners of the house, and getting to know them and their story, has inspired me and helped me to realize that human beings are truly and innately kind. When people show kindness and care towards others in need, things like skin color, religious background, etc. become insignificant. In the end, your benevolent actions are graciously accepted, and this exchange generates a rare and precious thing, mutual compassion.

Maya Hurley-Wales '11