{"id":2215,"date":"2020-01-24T11:14:53","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T19:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/?p=2215"},"modified":"2023-06-26T13:34:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T20:34:18","slug":"the-power-of-a-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/2020\/01\/24\/the-power-of-a-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of a story"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have followed my blog for any period of time, you know I love to read.\u00a0 I love to travel to new places and times and learn about the challenges people have confronted.\u00a0 I have recently \u201cheard\u201d some powerful stories and wanted to share them with you.<\/p>\n

The first is \u201cTogo\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s not a book but a recently released movie about the diphtheria outbreak that threatened to devastate Nome, Alaska in 1925 \u2013 especially the children.<\/p>\n

Many may remember hearing that a team of dog sleds combined to bring an antitoxin serum to the remote community – a run of over 700 miles in the harshest possible conditions. \u00a0(This feat spawned the annual Iditarod dog sled race.)<\/p>\n

The main characters are Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian immigrant and renowned local \u201cmusher,\u201d and his lead sled dog, Togo.\u00a0 This team did far more than any other team to deliver the serum, including a daring run across the frozen Norton Sound to save precious time.<\/p>\n

I was familiar with the story – some may have seen a previous movie \u201cBalto\u201d – but two things stood out powerfully in this story.\u00a0 First, how challenging and brutal it was just to live and survive in Nome in 1925!\u00a0 The cinematography transported you back to that time and place \u2013 incredible.<\/p>\n

Second, I was struck by how a group of mushers took on the challenge to deliver the serum their community desperately needed \u2013 at grave risk to themselves.\u00a0 Leonhard and his wife, Constance, did not have children and easily could have stayed in their remote cabin, safe from the epidemic.\u00a0 But he and Togo answered the call \u2013 and it nearly cost both their lives.<\/p>\n

My second powerful story was set in the skies above Europe in World War II.\u00a0 The book, \u201cA Higher Call\u201d by Adam Makos, takes you intimately into the lives of two pilots \u2013 a German fighter pilot, Franz Stigler, and an American bomber pilot, Charlie Brown.\u00a0 Fatefully, the two meet over northern Germany on Charlie\u2019s first bombing mission \u2013 when his B-17 is shot to pieces, yet miraculously continues to fly.\u00a0 Franz could have easily shot down the now defenseless bomber, yet instead, he escorts it safely past the German anti-aircraft guns.\u00a0 Had this action become known to his commanders, Franz would have been executed.<\/p>\n

Like with Togo, two things powerfully impacted me.\u00a0 The first was the personal detail in depicting the trauma and death experienced by the WWII flyers.\u00a0 I was shocked to learn that the casualties suffered by the bomber crews over Europe nearly equaled those of the Marines in the Pacific Island Hopping Campaign!\u00a0 Makos takes you into the ready rooms and planes with these crews as time and time again they overcome their stress and fear to go aloft and do battle.<\/p>\n

Second, Franz and his family had a strong Catholic faith, which put them at odds with the Nazi Party \u2013 and nearly cost them their lives.\u00a0 Additionally, Franz was aligned with a group of chivalrous pilots who \u201cmutinied\u201d against the Nazi-leader of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering.<\/p>\n

Amazingly, both Franz and Charlie survived the war and were reunited in 1990.\u00a0 They became good friends and helped each other overcome the traumas of the war.\u00a0 You can see their interviews on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Much closer to home, but still powerful, is our own Human Services Department\u2019s \u201cStory Corps.\u201d For the last few years, employees have gathered over lunch every month or so, to listen to the stories of their colleagues.\u00a0 These deeply personal stories serve two very important functions for the team.\u00a0 First, they broaden and deepen their understanding of their teammates \u2013 both the challenges they have been through and the unique perspectives they bring to their work.\u00a0 Second, it is a critical reminder that we all have a story, some very different than others.\u00a0 As our case managers provide support to those most vulnerable in our community, this understanding is an important foundation.<\/p>\n

I have attended two recent Story Corps meetings \u2013 hearing the powerful and unique stories of Elsa Jaramillo and Lucky Bradley. I really appreciate their sharing.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m writing this blog having just participated in our 2020 Point-in-Time Count.\u00a0 I was out from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. with amazing professionals and volunteers in cold and rain to gather the stories of many in our community who are experiencing homelessness.\u00a0 But those stories will have to wait until next week\u2019s blog.<\/p>\n

Hope you have a safe and dry weekend,<\/p>\n

\"Bruce\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bruce<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you have followed my blog for any period of time, you know I love to read.\u00a0 I love to travel to new places and times and learn about the challenges people have confronted.\u00a0 I have recently \u201cheard\u201d some powerful stories and wanted to share them with you. The first is \u201cTogo\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":2218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38509],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe power of a story - Pierce County Executive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/2020\/01\/24\/the-power-of-a-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The power of a story - Pierce County Executive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you have followed my blog for any period of time, you know I love to read.\u00a0 I love to travel to new places and times and learn about the challenges people have confronted.\u00a0 I have recently \u201cheard\u201d some powerful stories and wanted to share them with you. 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