The Bead People

Dear Friends,

My name is Nicci Walla and I manage The Bead People International festival booth in Lincoln, NE. My first story to tell about my experiences with the Bead People thus far occured on Sunday the 22nd of June. My friend Lynette, my son 9 year old son Jaaron, and myself were taking care of the bead people booth at the farmers market at 56th and Old Cheney. It had been a lovely day with lots of newcomers who seemed very excited about the bead people and we had lots of activity under the tent for 3 hours straight. Suddenly we had a lull in traffic and we were just sitting around visiting with each other when I noticed a small crowd had gathered outside of our tent… I watched as one of the teenage girls propped her cane on her shoulder and picked up the Wind of a Thousand Years book reading it about 1 inch from her face… I quickly noticed that there were five blind young adults and two escorts who were curiously hovering around our booth. I started to introduce them to our project in my usual way explaining what they were and that they could be made right in our tent with no obligation to purchase. Three of the girls jumped at the opportunity to create a bead person, with Jaaron twisting their arms and legs, they all made a lovely bead person mostly by touch. I was so proud of Jaaron for providing lots of animated stimulating conversation while they worked.

Finally the blind young man who was standing nearby touching the bead people hanging all around him turned towards me and asked me for my name, he asked me if anyone had ever made a blind person with a cane. I said no but that I could make it happen. I did not hesitate for a moment and I grabbed the bead person nearest me and fitted him with a green cane that I told the boy matched his bright green shirt perfectly. The cane was constructed out of abody wire and attached with a look between the top bead the the second from the top bead. We mutually agreed that cane holders do not hold thier canes from the top but from about six inches below the top in order to control it better. We spoke for a short while and he ernestly felt very excited to be represented by our project. He touched the little person with his cane attached to his hand for a long time before turning around and making his way after his group.

The escorts took some pictures of their group and their bead people which by the way they all named and hung on the adoption board before they left. The boy who had suggested the cane said we needed to make one in a wheelchair which I have since started working on and another person chimed in that we needed one with a seeing eye dog and I know this can be done as my 7 year olds have done many dog bead people.

In the end, we felt very good about the interaction that we had in our tent and proud of our cane-guided bead person that I will have to take a picture of soon… Jaaron tells everyone at later booths the names and the stories behind these 4 blind little people and one with a cane and it meant something special to all of us.

Bellies, Babies, Bodies and The Bead People of Lincoln, NE

Nicci B Walla (I always knew the B in my name would make sense one day.)