Two reminders of the power of storytelling landed in my inbox yesterday and today. The first was from Bob Shreck, an early Potluck subscriber, supporter, cheerleader, and frequent commenter, in the chats below. Shreck is a retired Oncologist who I have discovered is one of the most interesting within my people collection.
Shreck responded to a column by the newest Iowa Writers’ Collaborative member, Jane Nguyen, whose first piece ran in our Sunday Roundup column yesterday.
BOB SHRECK
”Wow! What an addition to the list,” wrote Shreck, regarding Nguyen’s column. He asked me to forward the following message to her. She introduced herself to readers by telling how she arrived in Iowa as an orphan from Vietnam.
‘My U.S. Army experience ('69-'70) was profound and positive, although, at the time, I did not fully appreciate it. Cherie (Shreck’s wife) and I have returned to Vietnam three times, and our interest in the country is enduring.
I was an Oncology fellow at the Univeristy of Utah on April 4th, 1975, when word came of the crash of the C5A transport plane, just barely across the Saigon River. Close friends and medical colleagues, lost their long-anticipated infant son in that crash. Although there were many survivors, it was a painful and poignant end to our failed intrusion into that country.
We frequently traveled between Des Moines and Denver in the 1980s and, on at least three occasions, ‘lapped’ an infant for that leg of their journey from Asia to Iowa. It was less than two hours but deplaning to the sight of large extended families from all over Iowa gathered late in the evening at the gate to greet their new family member. It was emotional and unforgettable.
But the icing on the cake was provided by my sister, Becky (Valley High School class of '65), who made three separate weeks-long trips to Cambodia, one during the Vietnamese occupation, to select and bring to Iowa four kids ages nine months to ll years; one trip to Brazil for a 14-year-old; and a mail-order from Ethiopia, age 8. All girls. All as a single parent.
They are all grown and gone, scattered from Nevada to New York, but their role in our family was profound. I particularly enjoyed having my picture taken with them and challenging friends to see the family resemblance.
I quietly and seriously considered them to be my ticket to the future, wrote Bob Shreck
And the connections continue--our daughter-in-law's brother, half-Chinese himself, has two children with his Vietnamese wife, who came here with family when she was an infant.
Iowa's role in this migration, promoted by Bob Ray, remains one of the sterling features of his leadership of this State. Our youngest son's two best friends at Roosevelt were southeast Asian immigrants, one from Laos and one from Cambodia, arriving as infants.
Again, a belated welcome to America and Iowa! Looking forward to future columns.
Bob Shreck
ICYMI - Jane Nguyen, The Asian American
RACHELLE CHASE
The next reminder of the power of storytelling came when Des Moines Register columnist Rachelle Chase tagged me in her Facebook post this morning, saying:
I have made so many great connections at the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat! ….I met Dr. Anita Fleming-Rife during an awesome sunset boat ride for attendees. We have yet to discuss our shared interest in Buxton, but last week, I talked to her about her work bringing both the National Black Child Development Institute and The Algebra Project to Iowa. These are the most recent examples of the great work she continues to do for Black youth. Rachelle’s column: An Iowan wants all Black students to succeed in math and reading. Here’s what she’s doing to help.
If you find this story behind a paywall, don’t be frustrated; subscribe so you can read Rachelle’s stories. Local journalism and local stories matter. Rachelle Chase matters.
Representation matters.
Boji Bound
Speaking of the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat, Bob Shreck is signed up for OWR III. We put him to work last year as our resident first responder in case of an emergency, and since he knows how to drive a golf cart, he ferried people who needed assistance from various workshop locations. He’s that kind of guy. We love Dr. Bob.
In an email following his first OWR last year, he wrote:
Folks,
“Blooming under sable skies,” and although appearing only once every 100 years, Brigadoon was able to facilitate love and a site where a heart “forever lies.”
The Okoboji Writer’s Retreat has now appeared annually and has stoked the creative imaginations and technical skills of writers of all ages, genders and hues. Varied interests and goals were addressed in depth and breadth…at a perfect venue.
Let’s do it again.
And can we keep the sable skies?
Why, yes, you can: ENROLL NOW
Today’s Monday Zoom Lunch with Jerry Crawford: You’re invited
Join us for our Zoom call today. Be my guest today if you haven’t participated in a Monday Zoom Lunch call yet. It is a perk for being a paid subscriber, but if you’re not, give it a try today and see if you like the experience. We usually have 20-35 on call. There’s plenty of time for participants to ask questions, too. So join me with Des Moines attorney and racehorse owner Jerry Crawford at noon central time.
More about Donegal Racing.
I’ll be broadcasting from the Abaco Inn, Bahamas, dining room. See the ocean in the background?
Topic
Jerry Crawford
Jan 9, 2023 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82478434166https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82478434166