Today I started follow-up phone calls with the Road to Washington organizers to see how their installations went and hear a re-cap of the day in their own words. Usually, too much time on the phone makes me antsy, but I could’ve spent all day on the phone with these organizers listening to their stories, reflections and hearing the emotions in their voices.
At first I thought writing two full weeks of blogs was going to be hard work, but now I’m hoping two weeks is enough time to share with all of you the incredible journeys that took place that day.
Allison and Amanda are both students at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and I got the joy of speaking to them both about the Cheyenne installation. The morning of April 28, 2012 I received a phone call from Amanda, worried about the weather situation that day. It was incredibly windy and not looking good for an installation of handmade bones. She said if they weren’t able to host the installation, they’d reschedule it for next week on their campus.
But, people started showing up, and so the girls decided to go ahead with the installation, despite the wind. They began to lay down their one thousand bones close to the busy intersection, hoping to grab the attention of people driving by.
Cheyenne Installation
Amanda shared with me a beautiful story that really touched her heart that day. As she held back tears she told me about this family that came to lay down bones, a mother and her two children. One of the little girls picked up a couple of bones, turned to her mother and said “Look, Mom! One is my size and one is your size!” This project really touches people in different ways but it’s really amazing how young children connect to it and remind us that the victims of these atrocities aren’t just adults.
As organizers, Amanda and Allison thought that the installation wouldn’t effect them in such a profound way because of their intimacy in organizing it. However, that day they realized that no matter how long you work with bones or how closely – you’re never really prepared to see an installation of them.
The weather worked out for the best, but Allison, Amanda and the rest of the International Studies Student Club decided to hold another installation this past week. They set up at the busiest intersection of the campus to attract students and professors. What they didn’t anticipate was a group of Board of Trustee members who stared at them as they passed. Amanda reached out to them and shared with the men in suits what they were doing. “At first, they thought I was kidding!” she said of their reaction. “They had no idea that genocides had been happening after the Holocaust, so I shared our information with them!” I asked her how they reacted to the information she had just shared and she says “They were shocked and asked us why people weren’t doing anything about it… and, I told him we were”. They then laid some bones down together.
University of Wyoming Installation
These are only a couple of the amazing stories I’ve heard so far and I’m sure what I’ll continue to hear as the week progresses. With all the terrible things we hear about everyday, in our backyard and abroad, I must say it is hopeful to be speaking to such wonderful people about the change that they’re creating.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 5:01PM 
Photo Credit: Flordelino Lagundino
Photo Credit: Flordelino Lagundino
