Springfield, Oh. (Pop. 57,738)

We sat on the screened-in back porch, sipping coffee, chatting with Marcia, and listening to the birds singing in the crisp morning air. I opened an app on my phone that identifies birds by their songs. Within moments, it detected eight distinct species. It was peaceful—drinking coffee, waking slowly, and embracing the sounds of nature.

Leaving Plainfield, we headed east toward Ohio. Soon, we found ourselves driving through moderately heavy rain. I-70 in Indiana was rough, full of potholes and patches, but as soon as we crossed into Ohio, the roads were noticeably smoother. I’ve always thought Indiana lagged behind the times, and these roads certainly didn’t help my perception.

We arrived in Springfield, but Dana’s dad was out having dinner with a group from his assisted living home. With time to kill, we did what we do best—found a Walmart parking lot and took naps.

A few weeks ago, we had been discussing our parents, and I mentioned that I wished I had recorded my dad’s life story in conversation form. I used to visit him weekly and could have brought recording equipment to capture his recollections of growing up. Realizing I still had the chance to do this with Dana’s dad, I decided to make it happen.

When we reached his apartment, I set up the equipment and waited for his return from lunch. When he arrived, we dove into his early years. We only talked for about half an hour before we had to leave for an evening with Dana’s younger sister and her husband.

About a week ago, Dana had told her sister we’d be visiting Springfield over the weekend. Ronda, her sister, asked if we could make it on Saturday for a Haitian fundraiser dinner and program. She and her husband had been working with a local nonprofit supporting the Haitian community in Springfield. We thought it sounded like a great event, so we asked her to get us tickets and promised to try to arrive in time.

After spending time with Dana’s dad, we quickly headed to Ronda’s house to shower and get ready for the event.

It was the first time the organization had hosted an event of this magnitude, and while there were moments of chaos, the evening was absolutely incredible. The program kicked off with a history of Haiti presentation by a professor from Columbus, Ohio. She delivered an articulate and compelling overview, spanning the last 3,000 years of Haiti’s history. Like you, I had no idea their history stretched back that far—before even the rise of major world religions.

Her lecture was followed by a Haitian saxophonist—actually, I should say a phenomenal Haitian saxophonist. His performance was breathtaking.
Then, a group of Haitian high school girls took the stage, performing an energetic and mesmerizing dance routine.

The final act of the evening was a two-man music performance featuring J Perry, a well-known Haitian artist who blends dancehall, house, compas, reggae, zouk, and soca. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what all of those genres mean—but when he took the stage, the energy in the room skyrocketed. The Haitians in the audience came alive. The dancing was pure joy, a stunning contrast to the hardships the community had endured throughout history. We couldn’t understand the words—everything was in Haitian Creole—but we didn’t need to. We felt their emotion.

After the performances, we joined a line to sample Haitian cuisine. By then, it was past 8:30—way past our typical mealtime. After all, we’re retired, and it’s practically mandatory to start dinner at 4:30. 😊 The food was phenomenal, a perfect way to close out the evening.

I might also mention that this event took place in the John Legend Theater. He graduated from the Springfield High School and dedicated the theater in 2016. It’s always inspiring to see a celebraty investing in their home community.

Afterward, we headed back to Dana’s sister’s house, winding down from the night before settling in for bed.

“Ansanm nou fò, divize nou fèb” – Together we are strong, divided we are weak. A Haitian ProverbOkumaya devam et