The First Week

This blog is a place for Katy and I to keep you all, the people in our lives, up to date with all of the happenings while we’re at our summer institute and into the next two years. There will be a lot of dreaming, complaining, smiling, and crying throughout this entire process that you will all be able to see here.

Firstly, I should say why we decided to name the blog Delta Babies. In Mississippi, everyone says you’ll do one of three things when you get here: 1.) get a Mutt, 2.) get Married and have kids, or 3.) run a Marathon. The three M’s. Whenever someone asks us which one we’re going to do, we always tell them that we’ve already decided we’re getting a dog. But, apparently that’s not a satisfying answer. They all think it would be so adorable if we had little Delta Babies. So, now is a good time to tell everyone that Katy is preg… GOTCHA! No, the reason we decided to name it Delta Babies is that we’re still babies ourselves. Through at least the next two years, we’re going to give every bit of ourselves to this place and these people, becoming adults in the process and hopefully helping many others as they become adults too. We welcome you all to join us on this journey.

The Trip:

I’m gonna keep it short and sweet about the trip. Arizona was tan and brown, New Mexico was brown and rust, Texas was Texas, and Oklahoma was mostly awful (lookin’ at you Thunder fans). We only got out of the car once in Oklahoma and there were literally thousands of locusts all around the gas station. You could not take a step without hitting a locust – some alive but most already smushed. The Delta (Arkansas and Mississippi) was a breath of fresh air: lush, green, forested, dotted with lakes and rivers.

The First Week:

I’m gonna tell y’all what everyone tells me: Southern hospitality is real. It really is. So many communities have invited us in to their towns and so many people have invited us into their homes. They’re eager to talk to you when they see you in the street about any old thing. Mostly, they’re just excited to have us, to hear our stories, and to share their own with us. I’ve met so many amazing people – here in these towns and also among the corps members.

Before Katy and I came down here, we promised each other that it would only be for two years and no more. The more we spend time with these people, understand who they are and the problems they face, and realize how we can make a difference in their lives, the more and more we’re tempted to stay. Hell, it’s only been one week, so that’s all likely to change (and keep changing) as we get further into our communities and our jobs. But, for now, it’s been wonderful.

The first week was full of seminars: Knowing Yourself as a Leader, the Transformational Power of Content, Diversity and Inclusiveness, etc. Some of them seemed to drag on forever, but most of them were really helpful. The one that I found most interesting though was the Education Reform Panel. SO many inspiring leaders were on hand to talk to us about the reform efforts that are already underway here in the Delta: Scott Shirey from Kipp Delta, Rachel Canter and Sanford Johnson from Mississippi First, Steve Chandler, Superintendent of Tunica Public Schools, etc. Rachel and Scott especially spoke so eloquently about how TFA can make a difference in halting the brain drain that’s happening across so many towns in the Delta and in bringing new, bright, young leaders to the region.

We’re going to try and keep this updated weekly. Katy will be posting here too so look out for that (I’m gonna make her). Please keep checking this blog as we update it. In an ideal world, we’d be able to keep up with all of you and give you personal week by week updates. But that’s just not gonna happen. Our time is devoted to this cause and these people now, and I couldn’t be happier about that.