I could tell by his face that he wasn’t inclined to speak with Rachel and I.
Our first official “no” was discussed as we exited the driveway. Glancing back at the two-story white house, I knew the owner had a story to share. But there were hints of physical frailties, and wrinkles on his brow that, coupled with his own perspective, kept those stories from strangers.
Pensively, we turned down another driveway about a mile away. It extended through a wheat field and wound around farm equipment, eventually stopping at a small farm house. This one was occupied, but the occupants were on their way to run errands.
“But you might enjoy talking with my parents…” My ears perked up as they pointed across their property toward the northwest.
“Just past that grove of trees. You’ll find them. It might be their nap time, but it’s okay to knock. Tell them their daughter sent you.”
So we did.
We met Max and Barbara in their back yard, planting tomatoes. He stood quietly by her side while she chatted with him out of earshot as we approached. Her bright pink outfit shone like a beacon as we explained our project. As soon as we mentioned “her daughter sent us,” we were invited into the house.
We’ll let you see the rest for yourself.
If you only have 30 seconds, click here to get a glimpse of Max and Barbara. If you have a few minutes, and we hope you do, then be prepared to open your hearts to this couple who have lived in Payne, OK all of their married lives.
For more Every Point on the Map posts, click here.
Thank you ma’am.
Well, this is another keeper from you and Rachel. You keep raising the bar and it makes me wonder just how high you can actually jump? I look forward to finding out.
Thanks, dad! This project has really been rewarding so far. It’s been a lot of work, but I hope we’re enriching our culture in good ways. Feels good to do this work.
Great video by the way!
Thanks, I really appreciate you stopping by…RDK
I’ve been wanting to do something similar with my grandparents. I’m curious as to what camera y’all used and any other equipment that may be needed.
Hi, Tyler: We’ve tried various AV equipment, but with this particular project we’re mostly using iPhones. The HD video quality is very good, and they allow us to get in, out, set up and tear down very quickly. You can purchase iPhone adapters for tripods for only $12.95, and we’ve used some adapters for our car as well. We do have to use an iPhone condenser mic outside and cover it with a special wind sleeve (that is expensive…almost $100) but it works great. In terms of software, we’re still using iMovie. I may eventually move to Final Cut Pro and get a larger HD camera, but with my full-time job, I’m not sure I’ll have the time to invest in polishing the projects as nicely as it would take with the better equipment. Good luck! I’m sure your family would appreciate you documenting a discussion with your grandparents!