Vol. 15, No. 4, Spring 2002

To Be Concerned with the Blossom

Jacquelyn Ross

When Vitamin A(yyy) began, a deeply beloved elder had just passed here in Northern California. A favorite memory centers on a boy who came to one of her youth and elder camps one summer. In a dusty, hot Yolo County field, his first questions to other campers concerned their "colors," their gang affiliations. Several adults and campers seemed startled, but this one elder looked up with interest, eyes twinkling more than usual.

Eventually, the youngster found his way up to the art table where Auntie was teaching traditional jewelry-making. He quickly strung a necklace of glass beads and was tying the final knot when the elder stopped him and told him he wasn’t finished. "You need to grind some shell beads," said. "And some pine nuts. " "How come?" he asked. "This is an Indian camp, you’re an Indian boy. You can make an Indian necklace." Sighing deeply, he grabbed some shells and trudged off to the grinding wheel. Soon he was back, with mismatched shells unevenly ground. Not acceptable. Back to the grinder. Then a repeat performance with the pine nuts. And on to the stringing and the unstringing–three times. Each time, Auntie encouraged him, praising him but letting him know she thought he could do a bit better. This resulted in a beautiful necklace. The little guy knew it was good. He put it around his neck. It stayed there for the rest of camp—through morning runs, Indian football, and showers. We heard no more about colors. We heard quite a bit about the necklace.

Our lovely elder demonstrated what the poet Hugh MacDiarmid described as being "concerned with the blossom." To be not consumed by problem solving and survival but to believe in potential and to encourage and expect flowering beyond what may initially seem possible. Work with young people puts one in sight of doors open to the past and the future. In that space live the small and astounding events.

In this, our final issue of Vitamin A(yyy), read about people and programs devoted to youth, showing concern for the blossoms every day. A big thank you to these people, to our sponsors and board advisors, to the good folk of News and Heyday Books, and to all of our readers and supporters over the past two years.