"I just try to live a Christian life and love everybody. I would tell younger people: Mind your parents, be good, and get all the education you can get because you're going to need it."
“I’ve done a lot of traveling in third world countries, and you just don’t see much trash there. Garbage, yes. Rotten fruit, for instance. But you wouldn’t see a broken pipe or a piece of metal being thrown away. Someone would have found it and made something of it. They’ll take a little piece of tin and turn it into a necklace or bracelet. That’s the sort of thing I grew up doing too. We lived out in the country and didn’t have much money, so we learned to use what we had and not to waste. My father always fixed things around the house and rigged up whatever we needed. I was probably in college before I realized you could hire people to do that stuff. "I think the impulse to be creative with what I have comes from that background. As a kid, I was always making things---bringing home sticks and turning them into people or objects---and that interest continued on into adulthood. I’ve had various jobs to support myself, but I’ve always found a way to make art. There’s a big movement in the art world now of taking things that are meant for one purpose and turning them into something else. That appeals to me; it's what I've always done. If I'm working on a leather project, I might find some old purses at a thrift store, for instance, take them apart, and repurpose the hardware. It's cheaper and less wasteful. I use all kinds of materials when I do metalwork or blacksmithing, when I weave baskets, paint, or create reed sculptures. I don't really have an art specialty; I make some of everything. I just think of it as life. I do it because it’s who I am. If I sell some pieces, that’s great. If I don’t, that’s okay too. I’d be making things whether I was paid for it or not.” Photos below compliments of Wayne Henderson: Wayne Henderson, Artist
Email: strikeswhilehot@gmail.com "I read to my daughter all the time. It's a way to expand her vocabulary, brighten her imagination, and develop good habits. Knowledge is power, and reading is the way she'll find out information all of her life. I'd advise any parent to start out early. Read to your child while he or she is still in the womb. Your baby can hear you."
"When I was a little baby, my mom and I always said the prayer 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.' When my mom passed away, I went to live with my grandparents, and I asked my grandma who wrote that prayer. She said that she didn't know, that her grandmother had taught it to her when she was little. I said, 'That's an old prayer then. It's time for a new one,' and I wrote one and called it 'Shiloh's Prayer' and it got published as a children's book. I dedicated it to my mom." Shiloh (above) with her grandparents Book dedication: At the age of 5, Shiloh lost her mother to cancer. When the book, Shiloh's Prayer, was published in 2014, the young author sent a copy to First Lady Michelle Obama, who responded with an invitation to the White House. Shiloh and her grandparents will travel to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2016, where Shiloh will sign Mrs. Obama's copy of the book. Shiloh has just turned nine years old. Shiloh Sanders, Author
Shiloh's Prayer may be purchased on her website at http://www.shilohsanders.com "I'm 68 years old and I've been working out since I was 10 years old. I've been a boxer, I've done martial arts, and I do all kinds of calisthenics."
"I want to be a chemical engineer and a doctor, and I want to find a cure for cancer. Both of my grandmothers passed away from cancer. That's why I want to figure out a cure."
"My mom is my hero. She always helps me do good in school and she always tells me to get good grades. When I grow up, I'm gonna have four kids---three girls and one boy---and I'm gonna tell them the same things my mom told me."
"If you cook, always cook with love and it will taste good. That goes for everything, really. Whatever you do, do it with love."
“My friend Adam and I have known each other since I was 6 years old and he was 5. We grew up playing at each other’s houses, and I’m really close to his whole family. Last summer I noticed he was getting kind of skinny. I knew he worked out a lot though, so I didn’t think much about it. But then he started having trouble with his hands. He couldn’t grip things well, but he just thought he had carpal tunnel. We were on a youth group rafting trip and playing a game of Frisbee when he started saying his hands didn’t feel right. The day after we got back to Memphis, he sent me a text saying he’d just found out he had lymphoblastic leukemia. It was really a shock. He’s been in treatment for a year and has about another year and a half to go. “This summer he introduced me to friends of his who are here for treatment at St. Jude and who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House. I’ve met a lot of people my age there who have cancer, but because they’re not from Memphis, they don’t have friends in town or know where to go to have fun, so Adam and I hang out and do stuff with them. “I just started my freshman year at the University of Memphis and our fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon (at 3586 Midland Avenue), has an annual fundraiser for St. Jude, which I’ve gotten really involved with. It’s October 29 and 30 and it’s open to all of Memphis to come. We basically turn the whole frat house into a haunted house. We black out the windows and make tunnels and hallways and all the guys dress up and bang on the walls and scare people. All of the proceeds go to St. Jude. Last year the fraternity raised $11,000, and this year we’re hoping to raise $15,000 or more. It feels great to help St. Jude help Adam and other kids who have cancer.” Photo below by Cara Modisett (pianist, writer, editor, tweeting at @CaraModisett): Steven Quach is a morale captain for the Up 'til Dawn service organization at the University of Memphis. The Sigma Phi Epsilon Haunted House is one of many fundraising activities for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital sponsored by Up 'til Dawn.
From the Up 'til Dawn website: "Up 'til Dawn was started here at the University of Memphis just over 18 years ago. Since the program was started it has spread to over 250 schools nationwide and now generates nearly $5 million annually for groundbreaking research and lifesaving care at St. Jude. Overall, the program has raised more than $20.6 million nationwide! Up 'til Dawn unites students, staff and their local communities with a goal to help the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Students who lead Up 'til Dawn on their campuses educate the community about St. Jude while raising money through a variety of activities..." Article about last year's haunted house - October 30, 2014: SigEp Haunted House brings more than scares "I lost my wife Rosie to breast cancer. She died when she was 27 years old and left me with four kids. Raising children is tough, but I did it. I made sure they all graduated from high school and got a college education. They're all married now and doing very well."
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