For those of you that have been following my blog……I have a new updated site! www.lonasvoice.com With this site I’m able to add more photos and videos.
For facebook users; go to the site and select the facebook link, then select the “like” button. Updates are filtered automatically through twitter and the “lonasvoice” facebook page. Updates will no longer automatically filter to my personal facebook page.
For twitter followers; the user name is “beachbliss123″.
Thanks
Lona
The “Soldiers To The Summit” Nepal Expedition.
You just don’t ever know who you may meet and what little nuggets of gold you may glean from each meeting.
While hanging out at the LAX airport waiting to board the overnight flight to Bangkok I struck up a conversation with a woman who I could tell was traveling alone. Her name’s Stephanie Graham and she shared her knowledge of Nepal and the Himalayas as this wasn’t her first time to travel there. In the short time we talked at the airport I found out she knew of the expedition I was joining, knew Michael Brown, his film work, and of World Team Sports. We conversed lightly, exchanged information and boarded the plane. As it turned out, after we boarded, we found ourselves sitting across the aisle from each other and our talked continued throughout the flight.
She met several of the “STTS” team members upon arrival in Bangkok and was even on our Katmandu flight. During the three week’s of trekking in the Himalayas, team members ran into her several times and we also ended up on the return flight home. She’s such an inspiration and I hope to learn more from her. This is a woman who has chosen to live a full life all the while reaching out to inspire and help others. She’s found a way to “pay it forward” and it’s my opinion that we all should take something from this and do so.
Lona
A little information about Stephanie Graham:
She’s the founder of an inspirational website http://mteverestmindcamp.com/index.html and the below excerpt is taken directly from the site.
“For the last seven years she has managed a successful private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, while traveling for personal adventure as much as possible. Stephanie’s travels have taken her to 25 countries on 6 continents and through 46 States across the US. She considers international travel and learning about other cultures to be a significant link to a more vibrant, compassionate, and fulfilling life.”
“Following her first trip to Nepal in 2006, Stephanie became involved in fundraising and book collection for the Magic Yeti Children’s Library Project, lead by award-winning filmmaker Liesl Clark and Everest mountaineer Peter Athans. Her involvement in this project motivated her to launch the Mt. Everest Mind Camp to help empower and inspire others around the globe.”
Stephanie Graham, Chad Jukes, and myself!
Reflections from October 3rd, 2010.
It’s amazing how small the world can appear in given moment. I had an encounter on the first night of the “Soldiers to the Summit” expedition arrival in Katmandu that solidified my belief that nothing is by chance.
I had not met most of the expedition members until our arrival in Katmandu even though most of us were on the same flight from LAX to Bangkok. After arriving in Katmandu, our group collected our tremendous loads of North Face and Mountain Hard Wear duffel bags, were stuffed into several vans and took a hairy ride to our hotel for a two-day rest. That evening we all went to dinner and sat randomly at a long table. Trying to make acquaintance with those around me I began talking to a young man sitting across from me. He introduced himself as Brian Mockenhaupt and after further discussion I found out he was formally in the Army and now a journalist. I asked “How was it that you were assigned to write about this expedition?” He went on to explain that he had written an article for Outside Magazine that was published in November 2009 and the article was about how our American troops were challenged with the conditions of fighting an alpine war in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. I told him I totally understood what he was saying and how I knew the 3-61 Calvary unit out of Fort Carson had to revamp the way they usually conduct their operations because of the terrain. We went back and forth with our talk and then he stated he had spent three weeks on the outpost “Hatchet” for his research. That’s when my jaw dropped! We discovered it’s a ”small world” indeed and we couldn’t believe the coincidence! Brian was at “Hatchet” just a couple of weeks prior of my oldest son taking command of that exact outpost!
Was it a random thing that Brian’s Outside Magazine article brought him to the “Soldiers to the Summit” expedition of which we both were to be a part of? Maybe, but I don’t think so.
Lona
To read Brian’s article see the below link.
http://outsideonline.com/outside/culture/200911/Afghanistan-us-troops-mountain-warfare-1.html
” Photo by Michael Brown.” A favorite day! Trekking with Brian, veteran “Ike”, and mountain guide, Kevin as they work veteran and blind climber Steve Baskis through the Himalayan trails. Brian’s using a bell for Steve to follow and Ike’s talking him over rocks and boulders. Team work!!!!
“Life gives us struggles. For some the struggles given are so great that it drives us to our knees. There comes a day though after embracing the pain, that you must stand upright, open your eyes to the beauty around you, begin to breathe again, and be thankful of the personal empowerment you’ve been given and start to “pay it forward”. Lona Parten – written in personal Nepal journal on October 19, 2010.
The above is a thought that came to me one cold evening while in Nepal. I guess it was two weeks into the “Soldiers to the Summit” Himalayan expedition and my emotions were all over the chart. I was trying to come to terms with the resurfacing feelings of grief and at times even pure anger that a soldier I loved dearly had been taken from me. I had spent days trekking along with veterans as they scrambled up and down rocks and boulders, some with evident disabilities and some not so evident but still there inside; yet they continued on. They’ve been given so much to overcome, just as I and my family has been given the same, and the words “not fair” played in my head. There were a few times that I had to step aside and collect myself as to not let the emotions take control.
Why I asked? Why all of us and for some it seems “peaches and cream” their whole lives? I knew in my heart the statement wasn’t true but at that particular time the bitterness set in. What are we to learn from these struggles or are we to learn anything? That thought plagued me and I knew I had to take control of my feelings or I wasn’t going to really experience anything during this expedition and just be a victim to my given circumstances.
I then took the time to go to the edge of a cliff. I sat down, shut my eyes and became very still. I said nothing, let the pain set in and allowed myself to feel it again. I thought of my oldest son; the struggles he went through before his death and recalled his inspirational writings and music. I remembered how he was able to put everything into perspective and chose to use the time he was given to share what he had learned from his spiritual and emotional journey. I thought of the words thereafter of my other son and my daughter. I thought of the pain they’ve been feeling; their own struggles, yet they continue on with their separate personal journeys. I thought of other members of my family; my mom and dad losing a grandson; my sister and my brother losing a nephew; my children’s father losing a son. I thought of my son’s commanders, his platoon, his friends and others that loved him. I thought of each person that’s been touched by this loss. I then thought of the injured soldiers I was with and how their lives and families had been impacted from their struggles. I thought of the courage they were displaying and how climbing a major Himalayan mountain was to be a testament to their inner strength. I thought of the extraordinary guide team with us. How they put their lives on hold for a month to be a true support system to the soldiers. It was the same as friends supporting my family during this past year. This expedition was displaying a true parallel to overcoming tragedy! After a few minutes a stirring in my soul began to happen and the above written thought hit me hard. I then knew the answer. God has blessed me and my children and others with inner strength and we, or should I say I, never realized how powerful it was and can be. I could see it displayed in the injured soldiers and my own family, but never really realized my own strength.
It’s my time to “pay it forward”. How? Only time will tell but it’ll happen when ready. I’ve come to accept that the pain will always be there, just as a physical injury is always there, but the scars heal and the inner strength can come out if you allow it. To gain inspiration from others, use the support system around you and to give what you’ve learned back to others is the answer. That’s the secret to life and life’s struggles.
Lona
Photo by Michael Brown. “Soldiers to the Summit” expedition at Laboche Peak, October 2010.
September 24, 2010
Wow! I’ve just returned from a whirlwind expedition deep in the Himalayan mountain range with 32 of the most varied personalities compiled. 11 injured soldiers, 10 Everest climbers, World Team Sports, photographers, a journalist, trekkers, Sherpa, and porters all came together for 23 days during the month of October, 2010 to make an impact! I haven’t even begun to mentally and emotionally process the journey. I do know I’ve personally gained from experience but right now I haven’t any idea how much. I think it’ll take years to see the full picture, but I do know that I’ve made lifelong friends and connections with people who see the world and its possibilities just as I do.
I jotted my thoughts and observations throughout 4 notebooks and as I begin to go through them in the next few days along with downloading my photos and videos the experience will start to unravel and I can begin to share.
Meanwhile, take a look at Michael Brown’s and the “Outside Adventure Film School’s” film trailer for the up and coming 2011 “Soldiers to the Summit” documentary. It’ll give you a good introduction to the people involved. My daughter, Anna Laura, saw it last night and posted on her facebook wall – “it’s a blessing losing my leg because now I get to do stuff like this.” -Chad Butrick (while training for his climb up a Himalayan mountain with Soldiers to the Summit)! She commented to me that she was inspired by his comment in the film as most people would drown in their own pity but Chad took the positive approach.
This is just a taste of the experience. See what you gain from it!
Lona
Every so often a person comes along in your life that can say one little thing that can set you back on your heels if you let it. Life’s about attitude and this morning I had to turn to one of my favorite quotes to remind me of this.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you….we are in charge of our Attitudes”- Charles Swindoll.
The words “How I react to it” rang in my ears from an exchange that happened so very briefly. I was talking with a group of individuals who were wishing me well during my up and coming visit to Nepal in which I’ll be supporting the “Soldiers to the Summit” project. (www.soldierstothesummit.org). I had my right arm resting on a railing while talking to this group and next to it was a man who I had never met. After I said my goodbyes I turned to leave and he pointed to the bracelet on my right wrist and asked what it meant. I told him it was an “honor bracelet” and it was given to me by the 3-61 Cavalry out of Fort Carson to honor my oldest son. He then asked “did he do anything special?” I then had to say, “He died in the line of duty.” The man looked at me, looked off and said “He died for nothing. You see, I’m not a military man and I don’t think we should be over there.”
To a mother those were harsh words! Now I have to say, all sort of thoughts raced through my head. Do I get angry? Do I cry? Do I slap him? Do I walk away? Do I yell? Do I get in a political debate? Do I try to explain the impact on the world my son’s life of 24 years has made? Do I try to tell of his writings and music? Do I try to explain my son’s belief in God and eternity?” Do I try to explain his sacrifice? What do I do and how do I react? I made a decision. I took a deep breath and replied, “He was doing what he believed in”. He then said, “Well I guess that the matters are, he believed in what he was doing. He’s still died though and I don’t know what I believe in anymore.” I then looked in his eyes and saw the emptiness and felt pity. My next reply was, “He did die for something, not the war; he lived and died in his belief of people.” I then walked away. I knew in my heart I couldn’t change this person’s view on life.
As stated above….Life is about attitude and his man doesn’t get it. Tyler did and we, his family do!!!
Lona
I want to share the below speech that I wrote and was read at the Lee Academy School’s “Homecoming” festivities in Marianna, Arkansas on the evening of September 17, 2010. The faculty wanted to teach the importance of community service to the students and chose my son’s foundation as the focus of their fund drive for the week. This is a very small private school in Lee County, Arkansas and honestly their hopes were to reach the $500 mark. After the week was finished they were able to donate over $3000! I’m continually astounded at the level of generosity this community has shown to honor their hometown son, Tyler Parten.
Again, thank you Lee County!
Faculty, parents, alumni, and students of Lee Academy School,
I have written this on behalf of 1st LT Tyler Parten, 2nd LT Daniel Parten, Anna Laura Parten and myself, their mother, as we are all in separate places and could not attend tonight. First I want to say thank you to their father, Dave Parten. As an alumni and continued supporter of Lee Academy; he is also a loving Dad and is accepting this donation in honor of his oldest son.
When I was contacted by Mendy Felton, the Lee Academy cheerleader sponsor that they wanted to use the 1st LT Tyler Parten Memorial Fund as their project to teach community service to the students, my heart was touched. Community service was a huge part of Tyler’s life. He learned the importance of it in Lee County and carried it forward to his years at West Point where he volunteered as a “big brother” to children who lost their fathers in the attack on the World Trade Towers on 9/11. He then took it overseas from Morocco, to Egypt, to Syria; the countries he was able to live in while studying the “Arabic” language in which he learned to speak fluently. During his travels across our world, he made time for children, teaching them what he knew. While in command in Afghanistan, he used is knowledge of music and Arabic to reach children in the remote villages his platoon went into which opened up a dialog with the elders. He was then able to command US civil contractors to help better their village conditions. According to his fellow platoon leaders and his emails he thrived in his ability to go from village to village all the while trying to make a difference.
Students, community service means reaching out beyond “you”. It’s the smallest act that can make a difference in someone else’ life but more importantly, it’s the difference it can make in your life. Teachers and parents, thank you for instilling this practice in the hearts of the young. Though sometimes you may think you aren’t reaching them now, you’re planting the seed. In some it will take hold and spread like a wild vine and flourish.
As I am typing this my thoughts go back to the memories of so many years of Lee Academy football. I can still hear the sounds of the players, the cheerleaders, and the roar of the crowds. The smells of the concession stand mingled with the grass of the football field, and the various crops. Through beautiful weather, to the rain and the cold, families pour in to support their loved children. During “Homecoming”, I can see the football captains crown the queen and at halftime the alumni attending gather on the field under their class flags. My son, 1st LT Tyler Parten, is with the class of 2003 in spirit, so please class of 2003, make a spot for him or as you well know he’ll make one for himself. Always the center of attention!
He’s gone but not forgotten.
Thank you,
Lona
