Happy Spring! Thanks for checking in!
Our next three subjects are Ireland, Dave, Tasha, and a bonus person…Layla!
Ireland is a recent acquaintance. Dave, Tasha, and Layla are strangers I met at the park, and they saved this week’s post from being just a one-subject week! I’m not being overly dramatic when I say that I was *this close* to giving up and only sharing Ireland’s photo for the week. It’s a challenge to find strangers who are up for letting another stranger photograph & “interview” them. I now know that I can’t let myself get in the position where I don’t have at least a subject or two lined up for the week.
Ireland - 31
Ireland - 31/111
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “Sunbathing!”
I share Ireland’s delight in sunbathing, especially in Klamath. Have you noticed the sun shines differently, more intensely here? There’s something pretty special the way the sun shines in Klamath Falls…when the sun shines down on your face and hits your cheeks, it can warm you to your center unlike anywhere else you’ve ever been. It’s an instantaneous mood-boosting, spirit-lifting, life-affirming warmth.
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “I’m resilient.”
Ireland has had to deal with some life-altering health issues, and it was only fairly recently that she finally received a diagnosis. She’s become resilient because she had to for her own well-being. She remains optimistic, and she knows her own personal life experiences will help her to help others in the future, but it’s been difficult at times. She’s young, ambitious, and she aspires to help others, but she acknowledged that at times, she’s felt discouraged by having to cope with so many health challenges at such a young age.
I’m hoping for the day to come when Ireland is well, and doesn’t have to be so strong & resilient.
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: Ireland envisions a new way of allocating how our federal tax dollars are used. She would like to see a system where we get to choose how to solve our societal problems, specific to the community where we live. “We vote with our tax dollars,” Ireland said, “taxes would be used democratically.” She imagines a system where federal tax dollars are directed back to the communities from which they came, and we, the taxpayer, get to specify how we want that revenue to be distributed. We would decide where we want our income tax to be allocated, whether it be toward environmental health, the military, border security, or anything we choose. Ireland wants us to be able to see our tax dollars at work in the communities where we live. It’s Ireland’s vision that a completely different system of tax revenue distribution would enable us to build the local communities that we desire, by being able to fund the programs that are important to us each individually, and locally.
I really wish I had used a recorder or voice recording app. I’m just barely scratching the surface of Ireland’s vision for a new tax system. We could have talked at length about her idea, and I hope I’m conveying it in such a way to do it proper justice.
Q: What’s your life’s dream/goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: Ireland’s goal is to become a Naturopathic Doctor. She’s currently a pre-med student and will attend naturopath school after she graduates in a couple months! “I’ll continue to broaden my understanding of health and continue to learn and grow,” Ireland said. “My dream is to have a successful career and to be well known for what I do, and help as many people as I can in life, with their health,” Ireland added.
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (personal legacy statement)
A: “I want to be remembered as someone really intelligent. I want to discover something groundbreaking…and if that doesn’t happen, that’s fine too.”
Ireland will soon be graduating and leaving Klamath Falls. It was important for me to include some OIT students in this project because Oregon Tech is such a critical & valuable part of our community. Wishing Ireland all the best of luck and success, and I can’t wait to read about your groundbreaking and life-improving, possibly life-saving, discovery someday.
Tasha (left) and her daughter Layla (right) - 32
Tasha (left) and Layla (right) - 32/111
I got a little teary-eyed after meeting this little gem of a human, Layla. I just wish you could see the way Layla passionately and whole-heartily wants for a better planet for us all. She gives me hope.
Tasha’s answers are immediately below, and then Layla’s answers will follow beneath.
Tasha’s answers:
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “Jesus.”
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “I’m about to get my GED!”
Congratulations, Tasha!
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: Tasha wants to be able to help kids, youth, and teens early so that they can make good choices.
Tasha is clean and sober today, and her life experience has inspired her to want to be able to reach our youth early in life, before they have problems or troubles, so that we can help to shape their paths to a bright and successful future.
Q: What’s your life’s dream/goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: “My goal is to help get people to heaven by spreading the news of God.”
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (personal legacy statement)
A: “I want to be remembered as a great evangelist.”
Layla’s answers:
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “Helping nature.”
Layla couldn’t contain her excitement as she went on to explain to me just how much she loves nature and animals!
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “I’m doing well in science. I’m a good science student. I’m in the 4th grade, and I love science.”
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: For the problem of littering, which impacts fish, wildlife, water and the environment, Layla said, “the solution to help parks is a law requiring you to throw your garbage away when you go to the beach or park.” Layla added, “I just want to make the world better. Nature is beautiful.”
(We wouldn’t need litter laws if we could just be a little more like Layla. )
Q: What’s your life’s dream/goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: “My goal is to become a forest ranger or something that helps nature. Nature was given to us and we need to take care of it.”
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (personal legacy statement)
A: “I want to be remembered as a person who helped everyone and helped nature,” Layla answered, “and I want to bring peace.” Layla also added, “I don’t want things to be bad. I miss how the world used to be when it was kind and sweet.”
Same, Layla. Same.
Wow! This young lady is out to do big things for us all. Good things.
Tasha and Layla, thank you. Best wishes for your bright futures. (and ours.)
Dave - 33
Dave - 33/111
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “I’m a Christian…I love nature and everything the Lord made.”
Dave added that he’s a farmer and a gardener and he loves to work the ground and work with plants.”
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “I love good things, I like righteousness, peace, rest, and truth.”
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: My note-taking was slower than Dave spoke, but I hope I’ve adequately summed up his answer. Dave sees many problems in the world such as abuse of powers, inhumane treatment of people, and millions living in poverty. He sees the solution as being when the Lord returns to end it.
Q: What’s your life’s dream/goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: Dave answered that he has no earthly dreams, and added, “my dream is to go to heaven.”
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (personal legacy statement)
A: “I don’t have a plan on being remembered, I don’t plan on coming to an end.”
Thank you Ireland, Tasha, Layla, and Dave!
And thank you for following along for another week!