September 21, 2005 - Marie and I disagree about exactly which WAND-related, inside-the-beltway event it was where we first met, but that’s of little consequence because ours is one of those friendships where you’re pretty sure that you have known each other in a former life. We are true pals. So the chance to visit Marie’s family and the farm where she grew up, 22 miles out from Condon, Oregon, was one I’d not have missed. Most important, the road led me to Marie’s farm just six weeks after her father passed away.
Van Rietmann was quite a man. Farming well and doing peace and justice work were his two great missions. A professor at Oregon State, who taught Marie’s brother Tom and is an old family friend, told me today that in the 80’s Van Rietmann was concerned about the political situation in Nicaragua so he organized a group of farmers to travel down to that country to see firsthand what was going on with the U.S.-backed war. Marie shared with me her dad’s strong belief in WAND’s mission and said that he would be pleased to know that I was crossing the country handing out DVDs to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism.
Guided by Marie’s good directions, I turned off I-84 at Arlington, Oregon and headed south on Highway 19 just as the sun was beginning to set. The road was beautiful and desolate. There were no people, no cars, and only a few silent farms. The Cascades towered on the far horizon. A herd of deer crossed the road and bounded out of sight. A coyote stood by. The sunset painted streaks of pink and red across the sky and seemed to point the way as darkness closed in behind and around me while a slice of light opened in the direction I was to go.
Highway 19 eventually led to Condon. Highway 206 led away from Condon another 17 miles to Ajax Road. Ajax Road, dirt and gravel, wound down through fields and canyons another five miles to Marie’s farm. For a city girl, this remote world was beyond imagination.
Marie’s family – her mom Rose E., brother Tom, sister-in-law Katie, and Tom and Katie’s three children (Annika, Benjamin and Jacob) – offered a warm greeting and supper. Annika brought out her 11-foot stuffed snake and showed me her pink room. Benjamin presented his giant (live) lizard and generously said that I could have his bedroom for the night. Jacob, who was turning 12 the next day, talked a bit about birthdays and football. He plays defensive end. I enjoyed every moment of this family time and tried to contribute to the fun by standing on my head. Too soon it was time for bed and I followed Marie’s mom down to her home for the night where I slept in Marie’s room amid the memories and treasures of her childhood.
The next morning Rose E. and I drove back into Condon to discuss “Last Best Chance” over breakfast at the Country Café with the Rietmanns’ UCC minister, Lauren Allen, and Condon Mayor Dale Thompson. It was a great conversation. If enough people were as thoughtful and engaged as these three Oregonians, we could turn this country around.
Time with Rose E. was for me the most wonderful thing about being in Condon and so I stretched it out as long as possible. I asked if she would take me to the UCC church to see the bench dedicated to her husband, Marie’s dad, by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), which is a close WAND partner in Washington, DC.
Perhaps this bench, and being there with Rose E., will be the image that most fills my imagination when I think back on this drive across America … Van Rietmann’s bench with its simple plaque that says so much: “In Honor of VAN RIETMANN. A farmer who cared about the world.” It’s a beautiful bench. Not all benches are, you know, but this one is handsome and inviting. So Rose E. and I sat down and we had our picture made.
I told Marie and her mom that I didn’t want to sound corny but thought the Oregon leg of my trip would be dedicated to Van Rietmann. And so it is that these days are for him. I know this is for him because I can feel his spirit blessing every mile and each step.
Think about it… I want to improve my revealing needs Do you want a joke? :) What do you get when you cross a pit bull with a collie? A dog that runs for help, after he bites your leg off.
Posted by: foebsisitoesk | November 02, 2008 at 01:09 AM