My Southwest adventure/”soul” vacation – December 2017
Day II
December
23.
"Keeping wild places close to
your heart” ~Ryanne Sebern
It’s
Day 2 of my trip.
On
Saturday, I set out in pursuit of connecting experiences in downtown Flagstaff—the
locals call it “Flag” —finding a central place to park my Prius near Heritage
Square and walking to places I had identified as initially interesting. My
first stop was to see the inside of the historic Monte Vista hotel, which has
for more than 90 years hosted everyone from celebrities and law-breakers to
skiers, river runners, and business people.
While there, I looked at the artwork on the walls, absorbed the
architectural details of the stunning lobby and stairwells, and talked with the
clerk who was a longtime local resident. She had left and returned to her
hometown for her recent life transition, explaining that Flag had a hold on
her. Not only did it have a hold on her, she was 26, she said, but she had
decided to live downtown and within walking distance of the much loved Monte
Vista, and the job she truly enjoyed. I took pictures of the historic lobby,
and also of a painting made by Bruce Aiken, father of Silas whose Airbnb
apartment I was occupying during this two-day visit to Flag. Silas and his
siblings were raised, by the way, on the floor of the Grand Canyon where artist
Bruce maintained the pump house for the National Park Service: Link https://www.grandcanyonnews.com/news/2017/may/23/33-year-nps-vet-artist-bruce-aiken-recounts-grand-/ Here’s a fairly recent story about Silas’
unique childhood, too: https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/grand-canyon/2016/04/08/grand-canyon-national-park-childhood/80498036/
Just
a block or so away, I found breakfast on Heritage Square at a colorful, warm
Chipotle-style pick-your-own ingredients breakfast at a place called Mix. While
there, I was able to chat with the young waiter. I had noted his busy and
attentive interest in helping the breakfast patrons, even though this was a
pay-as-you-order establishment. I
overheard him say to another customer: “On a scale of one-to-ten, how ‘fresh
and easy’ was your food?” It made me grin, and so when he stopped at my table to
deliver my food, I told him I’d heard that and wondered if that was his own
recitation or if his employers had prompted him to use such a line to engage
with customers. He laughed and said it was his own invention. I commented that
this was both outgoing and creative of him. He said he was happy to answer my
questions, when I told him I was writing a book and interviewing people along
the way about their transitions in life.
Interestingly,
this young man shared that he knew that the one thing he wanted to change about
himself was being less shy. He said that his leaving his hometown, a small town
nearby in Arizona, to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff was part
of the solution to that personal challenge for him. Another part of the
solution for his personal growth, he said, was choosing to study a helping
profession – he said he had decided on Exercise Science as a major, and planned
to become a Physical Therapist. He had personally experienced recovery from a
concussion, from playing hockey, and been helped by a PT and so thought this a
worthy endeavor. He added that his sister, a nurse, had influenced his
direction, too, since she was happy with her chosen profession helping people.
Back
outside Mix, I walked across the Heritage Square and met Delvin Huma of the
Hopi nation, who was selling Cochina carvings he made himself, while his wife
Tracy and three of their six children shopped for gifts in downtown Flagstaff.
I bought White Bear, the Cochina in the center of Delvin's trio of tokens he
has set down on the brick wall and explained to me what the carvings meant and
who his people are.
Delvin
agreed to allow me to videotape, and use his full name, as a way to share some
of his story with others. I shot a seven
minute clip, we talked awhile longer than that, and compared notes about our
respective life transitions. Delvin, it turns out, is not selling Cochinas for
very much longer. He had earned an EMT certificate at community college some
years ago, and was now attempting to enroll and complete his four-year degree
in order to better his life for himself and his family.
Everyone
is on their way to somewhere.
One
of the other people I met that morning in Flag, at its delightful alpine
setting high in the Coconino forest, is Ryanne Sebern, of Evolve Jewelry
Studio. Ryanne was kind enough to share
a bit of her story with me about her transition to working full-time to fulfill
her passion as an artist. Her children are 6 and 4, and the flexibility she has
gained through being self-employed gives her more mom time with the kids, a priority,
as well as allows her to fully pursue
her art with them close by.
We
talked some about the tremendous discipline and organization it takes to run
your own enterprise like she is doing. Ryanne, 43, had previously served as an
outdoor guide, then later worked in the outfit's office, all the while working
on her art part-time. But now she has taken the path to produce and promote her
work at evolvejewelrystudio.com,
through her longtime association with the Flagstaff Artists' Gallery
cooperative on San Francisco Street in downtown Flag and elsewhere.
I
could not resist the silver tree earrings, with the garnets, and fell in love
with Ryanne's apt description of the conifer's strength, its ability to grow
and sustain itself through the winter, and maintain beauty through its own
seasonal transitions! It seemed fitting, on this particular sojourn of mine.
She also gave me permission to stay in touch, and to include her story as I
write the book about "personal growth during times of transition."
The jewelry is stunning. Her marketing is pretty incredible, too. I've included
her lovely bio here, and the link to
her business, as well as the link to the Artists' Gallery.
