Category Archives: Every Point on the Map

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Cromwell, OK (or Willie Simpkins and the Board of Education)

2 Comments
_DSC0045Everything about our visit with Willie Simpkins surprised me.We were too far into the Cromwell countryside to find someone, but we did.No one looked home when we pulled into Willie’s driveway, but he was.And although his face looked like “no” was the inevitable answer to our key question, he said yes.The dogs with chains tethered to their collars appeared ominous, but they were full of puppy ambition and eager to play.

Willie’s home had seen better days. The brittle remnants of exterior paint could have been flicked off with a gentle brush of the hand.  But his above average intelligence appeared to have been well maintained; he wielded a hefty vocabulary.

_DSC0034

By the empty beer cans around his porch, Miller Lite was clearly his drink of choice but when offered a New Zealand hard cider with elder flowers, he thoughtfully partook and considered the flavors as we talked.

Although he was seated in a wheelchair, Willie was raising cattle and sveltely rolled his chair right across the grass when calling his horses up to the fence.

_DSC0062

Chapters of Willie’s life story could have been framed as tragic, but he was quick with a joke and proclaimed, “I’m still kickin’, just not as high.”

When Rachel and I left Willie’s home that day, I felt changed.  A man who loved to tell them had given us the gift of stories, and we can now pass on a few on to you.

Maybe you’ll feel changed too.

Cheers, Willie.

Note: Cromwell is located just south of I-40 between Shawnee and Henryetta.  The historical information below our video is fascinating.  Happy reading!

Cromwell Wiki and history – fascinating!

Cromwell Oklahoma history archival document – more insight (“Cromwell, the Wicked!”)

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Mounds, OK

Leave a comment

_DSC0298“Bull?  How’d you get that name?”

We were loading our equipment into the car while Bull and Bobby were sitting outside a convenience store in Mounds. Bobby needed a smoke.

“Aw…here we go…”  Bull acted put out while at the same time positioning himself to tell the short version of a story he clearly treasured.  “I used to be in the service, and while I was stationed in Germany we’d sometimes leave the base and ride in the European rodeos.  Well, I always did pretty good but one time I won the whole thing.”

“What do you mean, ‘The WHOLE thing?'”

“I earned the title of European Rodeo Champion…the WHOLE thing.  And that’s when the boys started calling me Bull.”

I glanced at Bobby who was almost halfway through this first cigarette.  We made eye contact and he slightly nodded his head as if to say, “Yup.  It’s the truth.”  I looked back at Bull.  He looked down at the ground, for a minute, then re-engaged Bobby in their lighthearted joke-talk.

“So,” I thought to myself, “Inside they’re camera shy and do everything they can to stay out out of the conversation.  But out here, the bench is their turf, and I’m looking at a bona fide rodeo champ.” Continue reading EPOTM: Mounds, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Boley, OK

13 Comments

The bar stools in Pookie’s restaurant have born much more than the weight of those who have sat and eaten “burgers made with love” years on end.

They have born the weight of conversations about Boley exchanged by their occupants.

About the school closing three years ago.

About how to help people feel safe even when there is an occasional prison escapee in the area.

About whether Willie Williams’ bucking bull will be of such quality to draw a premium price at sale, and how they need good counselors at the substance abuse treatment center down the road.

About how the history of their community is best told by some of the oldest, and how they wish those elders were present to talk about Boley instead.

About how good last year’s rodeo was, or about planning the next one.

Willie and Tyrone

About their town’s dwindling population, and “what kind of ideas can we come up with” to encourage the “young folks to move back and raise their families.”

Those bar stools have stood as silent witnesses Continue reading EPOTM: Boley, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Criner, OK

5 Comments

_DSC0096(click photo at left for full view) -CRINER, OK.

When we were driving into Criner the only thing my mom had been able to find out about the town from a quick LexisNexis search was that they had a Superfund site, and that there was a lady who got in an argument with her neighbors because her goats were…ahem, fornicating in her front yard and the neighbors didn’t much care to see this particular act of nature.  So heading into town we were sort of hoping to talk to goat lady because we thought that story was hilarious, but as it happens we found someone else in town to tell us her story.

Usually (I say usually, but we’ve only done ten towns. I don’t really know how often you have to do something to justify using the word “usually.”) when we enter a town we scope it out before trying to track down someone who is willing to talk to us while we’re lugging around equipment, asking a billion questions, and also being complete strangers.  We like to drive down whatever the main street seems to be, look for interesting architecture, count the churches along the main street, and then look for a place that might have someone interesting and willing to talk.

So as we drove into Criner we passed a house with a gate and some sort of signage that said something about goats so we got excited and said “Hey! We maybe found goat lady! Let’s come back to her if something else doesn’t come up.” Then we went and found the Superfund site, met a few friendly dogs that wanted to come along for the ride, and then drove by a cute fence that had an “Eggs for Sale” sign.

We then had a debate about if we wanted to go find out about egg lady or goat lady, mams (mams is what I call my mom who you probably know as Red Dirt Kelly, Kelly Marie, or Dr. Kelly M Roberts with some extra letters that I haven’t committed to memory) finally asked who I wanted to talk to since she had chosen in Dibble. Well I wanted to see the chickens and love farms eggs, so I chose “Egg Lady.” Continue reading EPOTM: Criner, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Meeker, OK

Leave a comment

_DSC0126“You could probably just talk with anyone here.  We’re all like family…that guy just had a horse kick the valve stem off the tire on his trailer, so I helped him fix his flat.”

Rachel and I had stepped outside the car to find out what the assembly of hundreds of trailers, horses, and people was all about.  The man explaining the flat tire scenario had been looking at us with anticipation as soon as we told him about our project.

I’m not sure what it is about a split-second decision and all that goes into that moment.  For some reason, I wasn’t in the mood to talk with a guy who wanted to be the one we talked to.

I thanked him, glanced at Rachel, and understood she was in agreement to move on as well. If we were at a National Barrel Horse Association event, we wanted to find some racers.

It was a windy day. Hot, dry air swept through the camp, chapping lips and making those who had circled the wagons seek out their stores of cool water.  We pulled our small VW Jetta through the rows of trucks and trailers, looking for a better spot.  Soon, we had found our own makeshift “campsite” and parked the car.  Walking along the  fence line, we watched several riders warm up their horses for the next competition.

As we returned to our car, Rachel spotted a family who seemed approachable.  They appeared to be a mother and two daughters, and their relaxed, easy-going demeanors helped us know they might say yes to our standard question: “We’re traveling to every town in Oklahoma, and we’d like to have at least one conversation with someone in each of those towns.  Would you be willing to talk with us for a while?”

They said yes. Our equipment partially worked.  And, our video tells the rest of the story.

If you’re short on time…click here for a 30 second intro video.  Otherwise, this five minute video will give you a peek into the world of Melissa, Lauren and Brooklyn.  Precious people – living life and learning as they go.

Meeker, Oklahoma Wiki     Meeker Facebook Page   History of Meeker

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: IXL, OK

Leave a comment

_DSC0215Mother’s Day Eve, 2014, was full of more emotion than I would have liked.

Rachel and I had just finished our conversation in Boley and were cruising north on Highway 48.  We were running out of daylight, and had thought we might get to Bristow in enough time to find a good dinner.  We needed to debrief; our heads were full of pieces of life that needing sorting.

Mine was full of the past 48 hours.  I had been to two hospitals evaluating a human being who had not yet finished high school but wanted so badly to end his/her life they nearly succeeded.  Rachel had finished an event for a non-profit the night before; they had been working on it for quite some time. Fundraisers tap a person’s energy reserves.  And, after having spent time in Boley I was extremely aware of how towns in Oklahoma are just hanging by a thread, and entire communities can turn on a dime…or the closing of a school.

I tell you this because the thoughts in my head were fading my peripheral vision as I drove north.  I barely noticed the “CASTLE” sign, and when I read the “IXL” sign I wasn’t even sure it was a town name.  For just a moment, though, I had been scanning the east and west wondering about IXL, Oklahoma when I noticed a man on the side of the road as we passed.

His white beard shone in the dusky light.  Seated in a recliner in the middle of a make-shift front yard, his presence intrigued me.  I mentioned him to Rachel.

“You know, our conversation with someone in IXL was right there.  We should have stopped.”

“Well, do you want to go back?”

“I don’t know.  I’m a little tuckered out.  Not sure…”

“Mom, if you WANT to talk to him, then this is your chance.  Don’t pass up something that’s right here…you might wish you had later.”

This was the difference between youth and age.  I was allowing my body to prioritize my thoughts, the first being: “I’m tired.”

“You’re right,” I answered.  “Let’s go back.”

Continue reading EPOTM: IXL, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Payne, OK

7 Comments

_DSC0150I could tell by his face that he wasn’t inclined to speak with Rachel and I.

Our first official “no” was discussed as we exited the driveway.  Glancing back at the two-story white house, I knew the owner had a story to share.  But there were hints of physical frailties, and wrinkles on his brow that, coupled with his own perspective, kept those stories from strangers.

Pensively, we turned down another driveway about a mile away.  It extended through a wheat field and wound around farm equipment, eventually stopping at a small farm house.  This one was occupied, but the occupants were on their way to run errands.

“But you might enjoy talking with my parents…”  My ears perked up as they pointed across their property toward the northwest.

“Just past that grove of trees.  You’ll find them. It might be their nap time, but it’s okay to knock.  Tell them their daughter sent you.”

So we did.

We met Max and Barbara in their back yard, planting tomatoes.  He stood quietly by her side while she chatted with him out of earshot as we approached.  Her bright pink outfit shone like a beacon as we explained our project.  As soon as we mentioned “her daughter sent us,” we were invited into the house.

We’ll let you see the rest for yourself.

If you only have 30 seconds, click here to get a glimpse of Max and Barbara.  If you have a few minutes, and we hope you do, then be prepared to open your hearts to this couple who have lived in Payne, OK all of their married lives.

For more Every Point on the Map posts, click here.

Every Point on the Map, Woman2Woman

EPOTM: Beggs, OK

2 Comments

_DSC0268Their red stone cottage was nestled within the Beggs town proper, not too far from a water tower that, from our angle, read: EGGS.  I noticed ivy gracing the home’s outside walls as I stood on the porch and knocked, only waiting a moment before Jill answered the door.

It was Mother’s Day, a mid-Sunday morning, and as I spoke with her about our project asking for a conversation and a photo I was struck by the inner calm her voice offered in response. The sunlight lit her face and enhanced her high cheekbones, freckles and short red, curly hair.  Many are thrown off by our requests, but not Jill.

“Well, we’re headed to my mother’s house, but I have maybe five minutes?”  I knew we couldn’t set up and close back down again in five minutes, much less speak meaningfully with someone in that time frame.  So, I politely declined.

Back at the car, I relayed the details to Rachel and she said, “Why don’t we just pose the opportunity to give us her ‘best five minutes’?  This is going to happen more than once, so we could try it.”  I agreed and ran back to knock a second time.

Call it what you will – Providence, serendipity, or chance…but Jill had a story to tell on Mother’s Day.  And, she did it in only eight minutes, on her porch, with her husband Davíd at her side, and her eleven-week old son Noah on her lap.

And, we cried.

Thank you, sweet family in Beggs, for your Mother’s Day post script contribution to Every Point on the Map.

For more Every Point on the Map posts, click here.

Every Point on the Map, Music Scene

EPOTM: Dibble, OK

4 Comments

_DSC0038A grade school friend of mine who lived across our pasture used to tease our classmates then use “Dibble, OK” as the punch line.

“If you DO graduate high school, I’m sure you’ll have nice career at the Sonic in Dibble.”

“You’re getting on my nerves.  I think it’s time for you to move to Dibble.”

And so on.

I have no doubt that a similar personality type made the same jokes about “Tuttle, OK” while growing up in Dibble.  Dry wit, after all, is an Oklahoma pastime.

So until a few weeks ago, Dibble was a mysterious and greater-than-fiction community imprinted into my fifth grade brain as a place where punchlines finished and I would never go.

That changed when Rachel chose Dibble as the headliner for our second pilot run. And my impression of those who occupy the town has now evolved from fiction to fact by two sisters we met, sitting on their porch on a breezy Saturday morning.  They were both sporting flannel pajamas, drinking coffee, and taking in the cool morning temperatures. Wind chimes danced above their heads and serenaded their thoughts until we interrupted the scene.

Just a few minute prior, we had chosen this vintage abode as our target interview:

_DSC0017

The mid-century, flat-roofed home invited Dibble visitors to knock on the door, and to check out the burnt orange loungers while waiting for someone to open it up.  But no one answered; not after the first knock nor the second.

Continue reading EPOTM: Dibble, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Preview of Dibble, Criner and Payne, OK

Leave a comment

As Rachel and I sat on a porch in Dibble, on another porch in Criner, and in the living room of a couple who had been married 65 years in Payne, we weren’t aware of something that had been happening.  Our brains had been filling up with stories of the Oklahomans with whom we were interacting.  They were filling up with the histories, and mysteries, of those we had just begun to know.

Throughout the night and into the next afternoon we continued to process all the information we had gathered on our Saturday trip to south-central Oklahoma.  Here is a sneak peak of that day, and a tiny glimpse of those conversations we’ll be sharing over the next couple of weeks.

Our hope is that we provide YOU with food for thought as well.  Thanks for coming along for the ride!