The Map with No Names: A Mountain Shadows Adventure Story Featuring Resident Karen Trogdon |
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By Sheryl Wilde
In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, guided only by a mysterious Map with No Names, Indiana Jones, the bullwhip-wielding adventurer, risks life and limb in a race to find the legendary Holy Grail.
A Map with No Names was recently unearthed on our very own Mountain Shadows campus and, while it may not lead to the Grail of legends past, if one studies it closely, untold treasures may be found. |
The Map with No Names – A Mountain Shadows Treasure |
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The discovery of the Mountain Shadows Map with No Names was made accidentally by Armonie Mendez, QIDP, Spruce & Willow Houses. “When I first joined Mountain Shadows, I was cleaning out a shed and I found a map. It was hand-drawn, and it looked like it was done years ago, probably by a staff member.” Who knows how long the map had lain there, buried beneath a mound of forgotten items. Yet, as she examined it, Armonie’s eyes were alight with excitement.
“I realized, of course, it was a map of the Mountain Shadows campus. And, as I looked more closely, I saw the map contained all of the Mountain Shadows staples. All of the houses are there. All of residents who make Mountain Shadows home, are there, on that map. Kenny, the Mountain Shadows Mayor, is there in his wheelchair, with his flag flying.
“And Karen Trogdon is there. Karen is a Mountain Shadows staple, not only to Willow house, but to the entire Mountain Shadows campus. “I have the map hanging in my office now.” |
The Map with No Names – Closeup |
The Kingdom of Karen As you gaze upon the Map, we suggest you look beyond location, and seek instead the life therein, for that is where the magic begins. “Karen is right there on the map, right by the mailbox,” says Armonie. “One of her jobs is to collect the mail for the campus. And she takes her job seriously.
“Karen has the job of picking up the mail at 3 pm every day. She keeps tabs on the mail guy and knows if he is late. If the mail is late, Karen will report it to the authorities.
“I can’t get enough of Karen. I just light up when I talk about her. When Karen is gone from Willow house, something is missing.
“When I met her, Karen was dressed, head to toe, in Peanuts’ gear, and she was wearing her pink and purple beanie – the same beanie she’s wearing on the map! It’s always the same beanie. She always wears it. And when she meets you, she always says, “Hi! My name is Karen.”
“I wish I could introduce the world to Karen. I love her to death. I would take a bullet for her, for all of my Willow house residents. I get so emotional and happy talking about all of them, because they are like my family.
“Karen is just the star of the show. Honestly, it’s Karen’s world and the rest of us are living in it.” |
A Christmas card from Karen to Armonie. |
The Secret Writings
From the tablets of Moses, to the works of Shakespeare, to the Tibetan Buddhist Canon, the written word has been cherished throughout human history. While some words may resonate throughout time, others, like the Writings of Karen, most of which remain hidden from the Map’s view, may touch the hearts of only a few for a brief time. But perhaps each is equally important. “Two years in a row now, I spent the holidays, Christmas and New Year’s with the residents of Willow house,” continues Armonie. “I love them.
“Karen has always been the person to be my support in Willow house. On my bad days, she will notice, and she’ll write me a card, or make me a drawing. I literally have hundreds of cards and letters from Karen.
“When I was working on Christmas and I was feeling down, she gave me a handwritten card (shown above) and it said, “Thank you for everything you do for me and for Willow house.”
“It made me cry. I tried not to cry while I was on my shift, because I didn’t want the residents to be like, “Why are you crying?” But I got out to my car after my shift, and I just bawled.
“On any of my bad days, Karen will come in and be that light to my day. She’ll say, “I know you’re going through a lot. I felt like doing this because I could tell you needed it.” Karen is that person that is always willing to be there for whoever needs anything.
“My family will ask me why I stay at Mountain Shadows. I’ll show them one of Karen’s cards and I’ll say, “This is why I stay.” Karen and the other residents have offered me so much support. I do feel like they’re my own family.” |
The Arc of Antithesis
On the great Arc of Antithesis, there are those who stand on one end, and see only burden, and there are those who stand on the other end, and see only blessings. Perhaps if we look upon our Map and peer into the mailbox Karen stands before, we will find she delivers an unexpected gift – where burden and blessings meet. Says Chris, Karen’s mother, “Karen was born with a malignant brain tumor. She had brain surgery at 18 months. She has a shunt and she’s 100% dependent on it.” |
Mountain Shadows resident, Karen, and her father, Ken. |
“Karen has been a joy in my life,” says Ken, her father. “I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life. She’ll always be my little girl.
“Karen has been such a blessing. But the school system was tough. It was such a struggle at that time. Everybody picked on her. And the school just dumped the handicapped kids in a classroom and didn’t pay much attention to them. At one point, they wanted to put Karen into mainstream classes, because she could walk. We told them it wouldn’t work. But they did it anyway. They finally put her into a special education class and then she started to blossom. She’s the sweetest kid you’ll ever know. She’ll give you the shirt off her back.
“Living at Mountain Shadows, Karen has learned a lot. She loved her work at Rite Aid and getting a paycheck. That was so special to her.
“Karen’s best friend, Betsy, lived at Mountain Shadows. We visited there and a couple days later, Karen said, “I want to go live there.” It was out of the blue and knocked us both off our feet. When she moved in, we figured she’d go there and spend a couple of nights and then want to come home. Well, it’s 20 some years later and Mountain Shadows is her home. She loves Mountain Shadows. “We ask her, ‘Are you happy there?” She says, “Yes, I’m happy. This is my home. This is my family.” She loves the companionship. They go places. They do things. She’s around people like her. She feels safe and comfortable there.” While some may ask “Why?” and wish Karen had been born without a brain tumor, her mother, Chris, sees things differently.
Says Chris, “If I had a choice, I would not change a thing, because it made Karen who she is today. She’s just a really special person. She focuses on the good. She just loves everybody.” |
Mountain Shadows resident, Karen. |
The Eyes of Truth
As we gaze at our Map with No Names, may we see with the eyes of the soul, from beneath the pink and purple beanie, from underneath the Peanuts’ gear – for there, perhaps, lies the Truth, and the secret to life itself. And, as we contemplate this magical Map, we may realize names are not necessary, for we have embarked on a journey led by the heart.
Adds Chris, “I’ve learned to look at the world differently through Karen’s eyes. She’s very caring. Very optimistic. She’s pulled me out of feeling sad and depressed. I remember getting her phone calls and it was just the light of my day. Everywhere we go, every time she meets somebody, it’s like a light shines. She makes friends wherever she goes. It’s just very special. Her outlook on life is amazing. When you look at life through Karen’s eyes, you just kind of get rid of all the nonsense.”
“I really like living at Mountain Shadows and I like to recycle,” says Karen. “I love going to Outreach and going on outings. I’ve seen other homes and I don’t like them. I like Willow house because they listen to me. Whenever I have a problem or something is going on, they listen to me. I feel safe here. “And I really like the movie, Snoopy’s Reunion. I like seeing Snoopy and all of his brothers and sisters together. Snoopy is so happy. That’s how it should be. That’s how we all should be.” |
May your exploration of our Mountain Shadows
Map with No Names inspire you now to follow Karen’s lead – and do a little happy dance. It’s what we should all be doing … whatever our destination. |
The Mountain Shadows Foundation – Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants, like Karen, adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: - Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: [email protected], or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family! |
Mandy Huiras Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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