Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Mr. Kapanka's "Walking Stick Stories"

Don't let the title fool you. These object lessons serve a direct purpose during our Covid-19 isolation. The first story brings a bit of excitement and humor. Did you know that you can ride "bob-sled" down the mountain of the Great Wall of China. Yep. Crazy! Funny ending to that story.



Did you know that my shady street as a child was lined with beautiful Elm trees, but they all died from "Dutch Elm Disease" but there was one type of elm that resisted the disease. Yep. Did you know that trees have a "defense mechanism" very similar to human immune system that fights off infection from a wound or "virus"? Yep. Did you know Mrs. K's father was a pastor and her mother a church organist for over 50 years? Yep. You've heard that "God is the potter and we are the clay," but did you know that when Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches" that that is also a formative statement? Yep. Did you know that Mr. Kapanka's favorite walking stick took 40 years to make? It illustrates what Virgil said more than 2,000 years ago: "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree." That is an important lesson.

Each stick tells a story that is fitting for this unprecedented weeks of isolation. This presentation was prompted by the "W" class of Mrs. Kapanka's "Cozy Little Cabin," but the stories are geared for children and adults of all ages. Tom Kapanka

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