Grace Brandt 

In June 2016, I met an old man in a baseball cap from Billings, Montana. I was in the college radio station’s studio, ready to listen to and record songs and stories from alumnal days of yore to be archived for St. Olaf’s Reunion Weekend. He walked with a cane into the “Memory Cafe,” sat down, and shared his story. He was visiting for his 50th reunion but had taken ten years off before finishing school, doing odd jobs and driving semi-trucks back and forth across the country. St. Olaf was not a happy place for him and he had debated returning for this event. He spoke of dark times and a journey; I listened. 

 

Five months later, I received a letter from him. The letter was photocopied from his notebook and written in beautiful script and it was overwhelmingly profound. He wrote about the impact I had made on him and also passed on a little bit of wisdom from someone near the end of his life to me, someone on the cusp of more fully beginning my own. 

 

I felt overwhelmed by the idea that 45 minutes of listening and a kind conversation could have affected the way this man saw the world. I felt guilty that I never responded. I feel grateful that he reached out to me. This project explores impact through my experience with this man and engagement with my community.