On special occasions, Polly Simpkins wears a long mixed strand of interesting beads that reaches to her navel. Last Saturday afternoon’s Cup of Karma Project event was just such an occasion. In her introduction to the event, Ms. Simpkins explained the significance of her one-of-a-kind necklace.
“I made a trip all around Europe as a 23-year-old recent grad. I had a handheld tape recorder in one hand and a Eurail pass in the other, and I was going to record everyone I met,” Ms. Simpkins explained of her youthfully ambitious plan.
Traveling between Copenhagen and Amsterdam on a train crowded with rowdy young people, Ms. Simpkins found her way to a quiet spot where she encountered a man sitting serenely in the lotus position. Inexplicably, he said to his fellow traveler, “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“We spent the next 15 hours talking,” said Ms. Simpkins. “He told me the philosophy of his life.”
The man, who lived in a small village in India, explained that it was a tradition to create a necklace by adding a bead for every person who transformed or inspired you in some way. Apparently, a very long strand was the indication of a life well lived.
At age 30, after the birth of her first child, Ms. Simpkins began her own collection. She estimates that she now has around 70 beads representing significant people in her life. In each case, she gifted the honoree with an identical bead.
Last July, Ms. Simpkins launched the Cup of Karma Project as a way to encourage other Islanders to memorialize important figures in their lives. At Cup of Karma events, participants talk about one person in their lives in a five- to 10-minute story. “It’s about taking time out of your life to honor and remember someone who has changed you,” Ms. Simpkins said.
The Cup of Karma Project tea and gathering last Saturday, held in the back greenhouse at Morrice Florist, was the third storytelling event of an ongoing series. Four speakers were invited to relate stories about anyone in their life who, in Ms. Simpkins words, “transformed or inspired you.”
The first storyteller was semiretired counselor Susan Desmarais of Oak Bluffs. She chose to memorialize two women — her father’s two mothers — and proceeded to tell a fascinating and moving saga about two Irish immigrant women who never met but shared a unique bond. Ms. Desmarais’ natural grandmother passed away early in life, leaving behind three young boys and a newly acquired fortune earmarked for their upbringing. The relative who was left in charge of the boys took the money and left the children in an orphanage.
Another Irish immigrant woman, who worked as a servant for a family in Boston, heard about the children’s plight and took in the oldest boy. Two other women rescued the other boys. Ms. Desmarais’ father enjoyed a rich and loving childhood thanks to this selfless woman.
She also proved to be a delight as a grandmother. “Grandma Shea was a force of magic in my life,” said Ms. Desmarais. “She filled me with stories of wee people and fairies and magic.”
Ms. Desmarais concluded her story by describing the two women who raised her father: “They not only danced to the beat of a different drum. They created the beat.”
The second storyteller, reflexologist and healer April Thanhauser, chose her father as her subject. She told a magical story of a boyhood and young adulthood spent in Mexico, embarking on adventures and a lifelong study of philosophy and psychology. Ms. Thanhauser spoke of her father’s move to the U.S., his various jobs, and how he met her mother — each episode illustrating a man who was both a dreamer and an adventurer.
“He shared with me this love of poetry, philosophy, and mysticism,” said Ms. Thanhauser. On his deathbed, her father shared a secret: “Remember that I did not have the answers.” Ms. Thanhauser has held those words of wisdom in her heart throughout her life.
Jeff Kristal, co-owner of the Crocker House Inn in Vineyard Haven, continued the unplanned theme of ancestry with a talk on his son, Evan. “Every day of his life, he achieves something and he inspires us,” Mr. Kristal began.
As a baby, Evan Kristal was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy that caused him to have 50 to 60 seizures a day. After disappointing results with medications, the Kristals tried an experimental diet that all but eliminated the seizures within four days. Still, throughout his 19 years, Evan has faced all kinds of physical and emotional challenges.
Despite these challenges, Evan has excelled academically and athletically. This past year, he was honored with the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Frank Kelley Adversity Award. He has been the focus of media stories, including a PBS video and a “World News Tonight” feature. Evan has also made his own video about his experiences.
Although Mr. Kristal’s talk was full of humor and lightheartedness, he became visibly emotional as he wrapped up his tribute. Directly addressing his son, who was in the audience, Mr. Kristal concluded, “I don’t think Evan realizes that I am totally in awe of him. He has changed my life from the minute he was born. I’m inspired every day by my son.”
The afternoon event wound up with a story by Anna Cotton, science teacher and department head of the Alternative Program at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. For her subject she chose Ms. Robinson, a mentor to Ms. Cotton when she was starting out her career as a young teacher at a middle school in the South Bronx. “I didn’t realize it, but it was known as the worst school in New York City,” Ms. Cotton said.
Ms. Cotton faced a number of challenges as a young white woman in an all-black and -Hispanic school, trying to connect with students whose home lives were often extremely difficult. With a great deal of humor and spunkiness, Ms. Cotton talked about her challenges and triumphs at the school. On her first day at the job, Ms. Robinson took Ms. Cotton under her wing, championed her to a doubtful principal, and helped her navigate through unfamiliar territory. “She was tough, but not hard,” Ms. Cotton said.
She concluded by saying that she hopes to reconnect with Miss Robinson, and she plans to send a copy of her story to her early mentor. “I would love to tell her what she did for me personally and professionally,” Ms. Cotton said.
The Cup of Karma event, which included a lovely English-style tea with finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and mini cupcakes, was well attended and greatly appreciated by a rapt audience.
The next event will take place at Grace Church on Jan. 23. Ms. Simpkins plans to continue the series through September 2016, and will compile a complete collection of audio tapes of the storytellers. She is also developing a curriculum for a grade school in Vermont, and is working with others here on ways to incorporate the project for high school kids.
Ms. Simpkins is seeking participants for upcoming events. “I’m not looking for professionals,” she said. “Just anyone who wants to honor someone who has significantly changed their life in some way.”
At the beginning of the storytelling afternoon, Ms. Simpkins referred to her bead strand. “It’s become a vehicle for storytelling in my life. My kids will ask me, ‘Who’s that bead for?’ We are a strand in life. It’s a journey. I asked myself, ‘How can I manifest this project in a very current way? I’m a girl with a mission.”
For more information, visit acupofkarma.com.