Early trauma affects our psychological and physical health and nearly half the children in the U.S. under 18 have experienced trauma. Research continues to help us learn more about the impact of childhood neglect and abuse. In fact, when a child experiences a traumatic event, the consequences can last a lifetime. Childhood trauma can create poor health outcomes later in life.
I could hardly turn down the opportunity, but when Volunteer West Virginia asked me if I’d like to speak at the regional conference they were hosting, I said yes without really thinking.
This is a recurring pattern in my life.
But delivering an address sounded like an opportunity to spread the good word about Inside Appalachia and our program Folkways, which explores art and culture in Appalachia.
Sometimes to get people to listen to your radio show or podcast, you have to go tell them about it first. Volunteer West Virginia anticipated a crowd of around 400 people – 400 people who maybe have never heard of Inside Appalachia. That sounded pretty good to me, though my experience with public speaking is a little spotty.
I’ve spoken intelligently before groups of about a dozen and spoken less coherently in front of groups of nearly a hundred. I’ve given good speeches nobody remembers and bad ones I still remember, like the time I spoke at a community center during a celebration for Mahatma Gandhi.
The nicest thing anyone told me that night about my speech was that I was brief.
Honestly, Volunteer West Virginia would do better with someone who could sing or do magic tricks, but that kind of thing costs money and I’ll work for fun-sized candy bars, chewing gum and a bottle of water.
That’s what I got for dressing as Daniel Tiger at an event at the Kanawha County Public Library last year, which was more than I took home as Buster Bunny at the West Virginia Book Festival.
I say yes to a lot of things, but how often do you get to dress up like a beloved children’s cartoon character?
But I’m game to give Volunteer West Virginia a good show.
Volunteer West Virginia has asked me to talk to their guests about Appalachia and the future of our region, something our radio show and podcast explores every week.
Probably, they’d have wanted me to be a little more well-versed in the subject, but what they asked also seemed to fit the overall mission of “Lore,” which is for me to learn about Appalachian culture.
And who doesn’t love a deadline?
So, now I have four months to come up with an engaging, half-hour presentation about Appalachia, its future – and also maybe work in something about Charleston for the visitors.
The last part seemed easy. I can tell you how to get to all the bakeries in the county, and which one has the best scone.
I work for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. We aired six seasons of Downton Abbey (which I watched). I think I’m expected to like scones.
Volunteer West Virginia said I had a lot of leeway. I could do slides. I could bring in guests.
Early trauma affects our psychological and physical health and nearly half the children in the U.S. under 18 have experienced trauma. Research continues to help us learn more about the impact of childhood neglect and abuse. In fact, when a child experiences a traumatic event, the consequences can last a lifetime. Childhood trauma can create poor health outcomes later in life.
Tennessee photographer Stacy Kranitz is attracting attention for her visceral photos of life in Appalachia and the South. Sometimes her photos are hard to look at, but they’re always compelling. That’s the case with a project published earlier this year. ProPublica’s story, “The Year After a Denied Abortion,” follows a young family in Tennessee.
The Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival happens every Memorial Day weekend on the grounds of a scenic state park. It’s a four-day celebration that culminates with an exquisite tradition: the Grand March, a dance that has been taught to Kentucky college students in Pineville since the first festival in 1931.
The National Pro Road Bike Championships came to the streets of Charleston last week, ending over the weekend. Events included a time trial along the Kanawha River, a one mile loop through the downtown streets and a longer course through the hills and flats around the city.