Arkansas Traveller; 101

This program is made possible in part by a community service grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and E.T. and viewer contributions. I thought it was really important to leave something behind. I know that may sound a little egotistical I guess to some extent. If you're an artist you have to be a little bit you've got to be in or to spend all the hours and the time that you have to invest into a project. For a full page with a list or the locomotive at the legislative you look at the core of it may just be smoking a bit of a whistle blowing a bell the place grew on me and so after graduation I just stepped over into the brotherhood. Welcome

to the national forest and we're on rich mountain one of the highest points in Arkansas. I'm your host on these weekly journeys of the Arkansas traveler mountain folk seem to have a spirit of their own that sets them apart. An artist searches for that spirit in the faces of the people who live here. I used to come here as a child in the summers to visit my grandmother. She was just full of things that we need to do in those two weeks or whatever length of time during that time I learned a lot of things in their culture

which was very different. The last hour was so much more relaxed and people seem like they I know they worked hard but they had a good time also there was a lot more time. Family time together. I really didn't appreciate that our lifestyle was different I knew that then we were back home and you know you got back in the rat race and whatever just kind of slipped away. But she had had or did not come to me until I moved here in the summer 76 when I graduated. My grandmother was still living and she had cancer and it was during those last few months she and I had together formed a bond with them. Those last few nights they weren't good times for her but there were important times for

both of us. And she's kind of planted the seed or something because it's funny ever since I've been a child I've always known I wanted to be called an artist. I don't really think I had a choice. There was just something inside me that I knew I had to do. I felt like it was important to leave something behind. And I know that may sound a little egotistical I guess to some extent if you're an artist you have to be a little bit. You've got to be in order to spend all the hours and the time that you have to invest into a project. The medium that I work in it's present color Penfolds one of the things I like about colored pencils is that you have a tendency to have more control with them than you would with a brush. Another thing I like about the colored pencils is that you can not only draw with them but you can also melt them with turpentine or paint hard

brush and get a blended or a painted look. The group portraits that I've been working on for the last few years have come our way from just an idea and a feeling to really forming a group or a collection. The last top portrait and it's a series of drawings of our people in this area in western Arkansas last time now I originally when I started the group a portrait was just a religious capture a few things but not really any overall thing. The more I did the wider the horizon got away I wanted to do was to have a good ground view of what different people in the washtub mountains do in their everyday lives. Good

luck with that. First time I met people you mean you feel very comfortable to sitting down talking to him. And of course when he started talking about how life was when he was younger his eyes to slip out and it's like he just goes right back to when he was a boy. Well back then we when we went hunting we went for the meat. We didn't care anything about what kind it was or course with growing Russian boys from the boys at home with the dead Adeler she said want to lure you in here in late night we got to get out. Lauren good for me. And go she one with the universe kids up bird feeders. My dad was a great hunter. They'd take me with him course with ACT dried horses up then you need take me along to take care of the horses and you. Yeah that was my job mostly. And I never did get very much back then.

You enjoy spending time with people. Louis there's a strength that ham. He's worked very hard in his lifetime he's seen a lot of changes also in his life time. And I hopped in the portrait jacket to try that kind of strength and ability to change with time. But then have such a large enrolment but I had some in every grade. Thank you so much. First a ninth grade student yes yes and this was in one room when I went to get water from the way all the children had to draw it you know and bring any buckets of water and put it in the back of the ram. Ms Holly Harshman taught an arson in a school district for over 44 years. The way I saw that she had to be included by her influence with young people and also with preserving history which is that a lot of directions. We had two months in the summertime and then we'd

break for the children to work awhile and I would go back and wait as we had school in the summer. Two months in the slammer. The one thing that struck me about her was it was just like I was seeing my grandmother all over again. Of course we didn't have any school buses that everybody worked at school are there folks brought in with you know in the way again our course Mac or something like that when a little girl in the second grade had rode horseback several miles to school a little girl. She gave so much of her time and devoted not only you know with things after school but also today because she works a lot of historical events that we have in Polk County and dresses in the costume and always has the bonnet on and a long dress. You can't help a lover. If you drive a killer and you know you need blue ground was recommended to me by several people.

I know the first time my husband took me out there to Maine. I wasn't sure what kind of reception I was going to have because he he did live out their kind of secluded. But I think in NY Maybe he welcomed it. You live in the house that your grandfather built and I guess that were you born in that town or got you were born in the south. Oh going over did you learn. Taking care of cattle and things like that from your father and grandfather about getting a good view of the good for you till 4 years out. That's pretty early. Well what did you do when you were for your south. Whatever whatever I give whatever I get by with. Remember though you have to do more. And here in.

Are rumor going to feel a loom is working you know. Note that a new one for the red. I think he's real proud that I did his portrait and especially the fact including cowboy his horse. I rate in any one or maybe two years ago there were day movie thing there's a framework that had an angry little hard to get old home down here in the big here or are you here. The point is in the gallery I just got some comfy Decoration Day in western Arkansas. It's something that's changing to one family of two to gather info and either an afternoon run from Type Of all day at a local cemetery usually has a small

church. I feel like it's important to present a dance like Decoration Day. Sometimes we can learn things from migraine pair. I'm going to marry her honor her point associated with railroading old timers like this helped build this state.

Most of long sentiments parks and a few have been like well in Pine Bluff for the St.. Locomotive to its original state of beauty with the length of the state loaded with you on the hof it may just have smoke and you did hear the whistle blowing the barrel of the Cotton Belt Railroad has been involved in this part of the state as part of the country for years.

And it should be all the facts. As others as you refer them back to the fleet let the people see what the copy there has done and others will in this part of the country and as one of their locomotives that were built in their state and us and they've been able to retire as a tire it's the only railroad in the spec that built their locomotives in their homes and back to life. Who voted for a lot of people in the Cotton Belt to their good. It would be a good

walk with a lot of love. A little. The same as the thing about it for the little birdie. Said For it was. And I would like very much either secure along with all the equipment the weather and work life. And as far as the one in the railroad allows anybody to come in and work it on a unit on the wall. My book of

hope. There are many ways we can choose to spend our lives as farmers white collar workers in factories and for the most part the public has a fairly good understanding of what these jobs entailed. There are people who lead lives that are a complete

mystery to most of us. There was a place in Logan County where a way of life begun in the 5th century still exists exists by the grace of God. I just felt a special call one day to come here. I GOT IT WAS IT WAS CALLING ME. I finally listened that small quiet voice in solitude in long walks and soul searching that says you'll be happy if you if you and your we fulfill the things you write God is asking you to do. And the place grew on me and so after graduation I just stepped over into the brotherhood. Monasticism is an enigma to most people but it knew Subiaco. It is a way of life

a day to day existence based upon the rule of St. Benedict established over fourteen hundred years ago. Historically the market was a brother who likes and likes of us for life. A commitment for life of following the rule of only the only provisions on the roof or be of such a conversion of life which includes poverty chastity obedience and stability which means your stay here and we are always too tired for this house were not sent around for monastery. The stability is more than a lifelong commitment to a monastery. It is a commitment to the men in that monastery a shared common desire to lead a religious life and form a community. When he enters a religious life with your family name.

In that case a break with the past from a beginning of a new life a life of community with a new family a family of man brothers and if ordained priesthood fathers regardless of ordination they are all monks living under the guidance of the Abbot. They're out of the air but in the monastery is being the father of the monastery. But is the father of the monks. And by that I mean the spiritual father want to looks after the welfare spiritual as well as Temple. The abbot takes the place of Christ in a Benedictine community. And so all of us who are members of the monastery look to the abbot for guidance.

Life is not to be a life of prayer. That is one of our primary obligations to engage in prayer. The people of the world you might call it an oasis of prayer and good works. We believe that we glorify God in prayer but not only by prayer but also by the work that we do with supporters and a life of prayer. The motto for the Benedictines throughout the centuries has been work and pray or at Loughborough prayer and work. And the unique thing about the Benedictines is that we do not claim that any run away of work is better than any other way of work.

The Benedictines throughout our history have always been the ones who find God in order of creation to find God in the day in and day out of life. And that life at Subiaco is a tapestry woven of the past tradition and present reality. Well I don't have to do history of Saint Benedict. I mean he lived in the 5th century and so some of the things we do today probably would curl his hair. But I like to think of monasticism as changing with the times and not being stagnant. I think it the whole concept of a monk and Benedictine monasticism has had to change throughout the centuries and adapt and change when necessary. I think you see that in the sense

well and the different apostle it's a work that individuals do. Traditionally been addicted as were farmers in the monasteries were self-sufficient Well Subiaco maintains the age old custom of husbandry. The work of the monks today extends beyond the cloistered walls of the Abbey. Some are instructors and administrators at Subiaco Academy for boys. Others are sent to minister of parishes established by the Benedictines throughout Arkansas Texas and Missouri. The Abbey also supports a mission and believes Central America although some monks work outside the monastery Subiaco will always be their home. I think there's been too much emphasis put on the fact that manual work can be very sanctified with monks. Our work is sanctifying because you use your faculties the work does not give dignity to the person but

the person you're dating to take his alert. These are all expressions of one's response to serve God in others. The whole identity of what a community is supposed to be it's really not just one person doing things but it's a group of people living out a lifestyle that is community. For me it's a real spiritual high to to pray in common with 45 other people on a daily basis. The idea of community extends to all aspects of Benedictine life. What we do here to be IQ is sort of par for the course for most Benedictine monasteries in this country. A breakfast without any talking lunch and do whatever you want to in the supper with you in silence with someone reading. So Father Roland was given his first pastorate when forced taxes for nineteen hundred and six until 1980.

In earlier days when books and communications like radio and television so forth were rarer a lot of mugs got a lot of their education from what they heard at the table. I mean over the course of 40 years you heard a lot of books we read. The monks at Subiaco are preserving a way of life. But on the surface appears in Congress with the 20th century. It is perhaps difficult to comprehend what type of person could believe in something so strongly as to devote his entire life to it. We are always faced with the mystery of what is the essence of the monastic life here on earth all of your resources with a lust so I thought I was wrong I must as a real live here uses a lot of people would think that monasteries are filled with people who are holy people who are saints. People who are trying to get away from the problems of the world.

And take it from one people want to be saints. We don't all have the problems of the world. People who are trying to say that God is important in our lives and so in a way trying to become people who are here to go are further along in the process of becoming holy people. Some of us are just starting out. Well we've come to the end of our travels for this week. We're glad you could join us. There's so many roads in Arkansas that have interesting stories along the way but the best thing

about them is they all eat home. See you next week. This program was made possible in part by a community service grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and viewer contributions.