Touch Points

A couple weeks back, Gail was speaking to our class about what is known as "touch points." A particularly inspirational lecture, touch points are a term inspired by Gail's mother who passed away a year earlier. In a nutshell, a touch point is a way that one human connects with another. I believe that touch points happen in two different ways: physically and emotionally. In fact, after the lecture I spent some time thinking about the touch points I had made in my life as well as those who had touched me. Below are some of the most important instances in my life where I have experienced a "touch point."

When I was 15, I got my first job at a retirement home called Plantation Estates. Plantation Estates was the place that employed 15-year olds and seemed like the right decision for me at that point in my life. Little did I know that I would meet some of the most influential people in my life. In specific, there was this woman named Elizabeth Pressley. She was a beautiful 99-year old woman who had been an educator for 50 years of her life. We immediately took to each other. She always kept a record of my work schedule and would not dine until I was in the building. On my end, I always gave her the best treatment. Although I never found out her health issues, it was evident that she was dying. I ended up leaving Plantation Estates at age 17 a year before I came to Appalachian State. For that whole year, Mrs. Pressley kept in touch with me through written cards/letters. In fact, until freshman year of college, Mrs. Pressley sent me birthday cards with $20.00 checks enclosed. The letters/cards eventually stopped and I have not heard from her for over 3 years. I can only suspect that she has passed on. If I could have one more conversation with Mrs. Pressley, I would want to tell her how important she was to me. How her conversations, her interest in me and overall love made really changed my life. I will never forget Mrs. Pressley and I wait for the day where we will be reunited.

I would like to think that there have been times in my life where I have been the person who has "touched" somebody. Instead of singing my own praises, I would like to talk about a decision I have struggled with for years. Freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to volunteer with the Western Youth Network. WYN is essentially a big brother/little brother program that helps troubled children in the area. I loved the program and really believe that I was a good volunteer. In March of 2006, I decided that I wanted to sponsor a young 7-year old boy named Dillan as his big brother. Dillan had been waiting 2 years for a big brother mainly because WYN struggles to find men willing to volunteer as big brothers. Dillan and I immediately took to each other and I was could tell he really looked up to me. As the year wrapped up, I realized that I would not be staying in Boone for the summer. This devastated me mainly because I knew WYN would suspend my rights as his big brother (since I would not be in Boone for three months). I will never forget the day that I told Dillan I would not be his big brother anymore. He cried for an hour and begged me not to leave him. Just like his father had, I was yet another man in his life that was leaving him. Although I made the decision that I had to, I still think about the difference I could have made in that boys life. I guess in the end, he was yet another person that has deeply touched me.

The two instances above are a few of the many times in my life where I have been touched/touched somebody. Each day I have noticed the touch points that I make and I now see its enormous value. Hopefully I will have many years to come with touch points to make. I hope you have enjoyed my set of blogs but I had to save the best for last!