The Donor Wall

 Sometimes I feel like I've lived too long, like I've seen too much, like I've passed by too much.  

Today I went to the Two Mississippi Museums to attend a lecture on a book by Carolyn Brown and Carla Wall about the life of Thalia Mara.  

On the way in, I noticed the Donor Wall for the museum.  Anytime you see a non-profit structure, there's usually one of these.  I was early, so I scanned the names.  As you can see in the photo, it's a pretty wide wall.  I knew every name.  Some I haven't seen in a while because it says "foundation" after their name, and they've been dead for thirty years, but I knew them, Horatio, every one. 

About half were Millsaps people, either graduates or board members, or both.  If you ever question the influence Millsaps has had, look at the names on pretty much any donor wall in Mississippi.   A good portion of the were from Galloway too.  

Mississippi is like a big heavy barge trying to make its way up a slow river.  It takes an awful lot of people pushing on one side to make it change direction just a little.  That's what signs like these are.  They're a whole bunch of people pushing in one direction, trying to make things a little better.

Sometimes, it takes just one person to show a bigger bunch where to push.  Thalia Mara was a tiny lady, the daughter of Russian Immigrants, who showed up in Mississippi out of the blue like the Circus of Dr. Lao, and she taught us we could do better.  Because of her, we've been doing better since 1975, next week, we begin the twelfth iteration of the US International Ballet Competition right here in Jackson because of her.