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Six-year-old Elijah wants to know where I’ve walked. So, on his map of the United States, I show him the parts of the country I’ve walked through.
Mike & Kelly Bisogno, his parents, have done an admirable job training their kindergarten son on elementary map skills.
Kelly Bisogno, an art teacher at James River High School, where I spoke to seven groups of students throughout the day, had actually just seen me on the side of the road Tuesday, as I was walking up a hill into the western fringe of Richmond. She contacted me later that afternoon, introducing herself and stating that she and her husband would be happy to provide me with dinner and host me for the evening– and that she would love to invite me to speak to her students this week. Had I not already had hopeful, optimistic, family-related plans Tuesday evening, I certainly would have taken her up on her kind offer as I was making my way into town. As Richmond plans have transformed during the week, however, the opportunity to spend an evening with the Bisognos opened up, and what a truly fantastic evening it was meeting this marvelous family in addition to their many fine friends.
Not only did I get to talk maps with six-year-old Elijah, two-year-old Evelyn & I also laughed it up playing some hide & seek!