The Rock Garden by Mary Hofstetter
It was the summer of 2003 when I took a friend of mine to a family reunion in Wisconsin. We traveled all day to our destination close to the Mississippi River where it divides Iowa and Wisconsin, very close to the Illinois state line.
At our motel destination in Dickyville, Wisconsin we decided that surely this small, quaint little town poised along the highway would have a family owned restaurant where we could have our evening meal.
Waitresses in small towns just love to give advice, so we asked of her if she could suggest something to do that did not require riding any more miles in our car. "Well of course, just step out the door and turn left where you will find our groto that visitors love to visit" was her response.
With no other good suggestions we took her advice so that we could walk off a little of that good homemade meal.
At the local Catholic church we spied an enclosed area built of rock which indeed looked like a cave dwelling with a statue of the Virgin Mary. We began a journey moving from one room to another of rock gardens. Each one became more elaborate. Then we began to notice that the rock gardens (rooms) were becoming more elaborate. My friend and I discovered shells, unusual rocks, etc. that were not natural to Wisconsin. We inquired of a fellow rock garden wanderer, and was told that this was all built by a priest using materials sent and brought to him from many parts of the world.
The towns people, we were told, would come daily and help the priest mix cement and built the beautiful rooms of rocks and of course adding the treasurers from around the world. Money poured in allowing him to purchase materials like statues, cement, etc.
We had not expected to see such a beautiful quiet spot hidden in the hills of a little Wisconsin town. Some times the most wonderful of spots are the ones that few tourists know about.
So what does this story teach us? To me this is the true meaning of the word "mentor" which we business people like to use. If the priest had built his groto using only the materials immediately available to him it would not have been as interesting as it is. If he had worked alone he would not have been able to accomplish all he did, building the many rooms of the rock garden. Is this not then the definition of "leverage".
But the story does not end there. When I looked on google for Dickeyville, Wisconsin to see if I had my information correct, I found it listed with picturers so you may visit the grotto.
http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~niless/Dickeyville%20Grotto.htm
What the priest did was to inspire two other people to do similar gardens in the hills of Wisonsin where there are few attractions for tourists. So what does that teach us? What we do may provide the motivation and inspiration for someone to better themselves. These two families used their gardens to support themselves and their families as well as provide tourism for the area.
Visit the Adlandpro members gardens at "Welcome to the Garden"
http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/thread/407302.aspx
and Garden Friends
http://community.adlandpro.com/forums/thread/430482.aspx
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