Country school brings back memories
Gail and I enjoyed a wonderful trek on April 4. She drove us down Dewey Road, just across the South Dakota border, to enjoy the Elk Mountain School program, in which several of my late husband Wills’ cousin Dan Stearns’ grandkids were going to participate.
We arrived somewhat early because we wanted to enjoy the drive and views of all the old ranches and Elk Mountain scenery in daylight on the way down. We were both impressed by the sizable, neat, well-appointed school building we entered. Large windows lined the wall opposite the entry door, welcoming in the afternoon sun, soon to disappear behind the hills. We were handed a copy of Elk Mountain School’s “Bugler News” as we entered. I was torn between going on in and finding a place or looking it over right then. A glimpse through a nearby window showed more cars and guests arriving, so finding a place to sit before they were all filled seemed prudent.
Friendly greeters opened the door, pointing us first toward the kitchen where beautiful pulled pork sandwiches were being served on plates, along with whichever “side” each person asked for, followed by a variety of home-baked cookies and finger-food desserts the ladies of the community had provided. I hadn’t thought of being hungry, yet the invitation to the kitchen moved me right along! We were well rewarded with excellent country cooking!
The program — a three-act play that took us all into outer space and an unexpected, weird visit with strange aliens — was quite lengthy. Actors and actresses from classes K-8 participated. Most delivered their lines punctually, with accents and signs of emotion indicating they’d had great teachers and practiced hard. As always with such performances, the lines not so perfectly delivered and expressed were most enjoyed by the audience. An occasional actor forgetting a word — frantically signaling the director they’d forgotten while the director tried to “sign language” back — managed to be so funny that the crowd filling the large room laughed themselves into tears.
Some of the little preschoolers who took part — so they wouldn’t feel left out or discriminated against — were hilarious! Giggling so much that tears ran down my cheeks, I almost got a stitch in my side, I was reminded again what a blessing it is to have reason to laugh like that when one is 80! Anyone looking in the window would’ve been able to see everyone in the large area was fully engaged and being marvelously entertained!
Many much smaller children seated among the audience caught the excitement of both crowd and performers. They’d look at whoever was holding them or sitting beside them, then begin to ease down from their seat and out of reach. Once free, they’d dash toward the stage! Did they have a precocious urge to “join in,” determined to do so no matter what it took to accomplish that desire? What fun for everyone seated behind them! I savored the sound of that mixed-age audience’s joy being expressed.
My heart is now certain that Elk Mountain School — and all the people who know it, use it, love it and serve it — are exceedingly, abundantly bles’t!