The Thread That Runs So True

Last week Pillsbury College presented its spring play, The Thread That Runs So True. "This drama is based on the true life experiences of Jesse Stuart, an unusual educator who fought all his life for quality education in rural and mountain schools. His experiences as a beginning teacher in the Kentucky mountains inspired this play." Our students, under the direction of Mr. Ken Marsh, did a wonderful job portraying the trials and tribulations of encouraging education in the rural areas of Eastern Kentucky in the early twentieth century.

My father grew up in Eastern Kentucky and was a contemporary of Jesse Stuart. As many children did in those days, my dad attended a one-room school like the one portrayed in the play by Jesse Stuart. When my dad graduated from the eighth grade, he stayed on to help the teacher for a year. The teacher just happened to be his older sister. He then went off to attend high school in another town. Dad had to pay room and board and work his way through high school. When he finished high school, he went off to college. Like many of his siblings and cousins, Dad eventually became a teacher. I often say that education is a "disorder that runs in my family." I appreciate the fact that many members of my immediate and extended family have been involved in education.

One more note about Pillsbury's production. Our youngest son, Andy, had a role in the play. He portrayed Guy Hawkins, a rough character who always wanted to beat up the teacher and put him in his place. Eventually, Guy comes around and becomes one of Jesse Stuart's star pupils.

We are very proud of Andy. In addition to performing in the spring play, he sings in the college choir and has been one of the catchers on the Pillsbury Comet baseball team this spring. He is planning on working at a Christian camp this summer, so he will be a pretty busy young man. I forgot to mention that Andy just turned twenty. We have no more teenagers! What a blessing. Of course, our granddaughter Peyton Rose will become a teenager in just three years. The cycle will begin anew.