November 15, 2009
Annette Coyle Dances with the Diabetes Prevention Team.
Falling in Love and Saying Goodbye
Essay by Annette Coyle
My first trip to Bethel was in the early 1980s while working for the State of Alaska Public Health Nursing Program. I wasn't impressed. Fast forward to May 2006 when I returned to Bethel to interview for a job as clinical diabetes educator with YKHC. Back in Juneau following the brief visit and interview I told my friends and family "it's worse than I remember."
Still when offered, I accepted the job and came to Bethel. I came with squared shoulders and a smile on my face determined to make the best of what I was sure would be a rough but educational two years.
Then. Then! I fell in love.
My first love was my little "shed". A tee tiny blue house with a red roof in Uivik Sub was my first home. I sent a picture of this little house to a friend in Tennessee. When he received the photo he called and said to me "I got that picture. I Iooked at it and said to myself My God! Annette's living in a shed!" Forever after, that little house was known as "the shed". It was wonderful - cozy and sweetly decorated. Its modest size forced me to consider each purchase or acquisition carefully. I couldn't run around buying things willy nillly. Where would I put the stuff? I learned to think about "stuff" carefully. The utilities were very affordable and it cleaned up in a snap. After a while I wondered why anyone would want to live in a big house. I was in love with small space living.
Next I fell in love with my work. In spite of the fact that my boss reminded me about 20 times a day in what I chose to believe was good humor that I was still in my "90 days" and could be let go at any time, I loved going to work each day. My co-workers were the best ever and learning about diabetes was fascinating. When I worked for State of Alaska Public Health Nursing I thought that itinerant PHNs had the greatest job ever traveling to the small villages around Alaska providing services. Now I was doing the same thing as a diabetes educator! I loved traveling by what I affectionately called "duct tape planes" because half the time it was this material that seemed to hold them together. I loved it when I was the only passenger on the plane and the pilot would take me moose spotting. I loved exploring the villages and meeting new people. I woke each morning with a smile eager to see what my work day would bring.
The tundra was my next love. Ah, the tundra - that incredible tapestry of form, fragrance, texture and color. How I loved to walk on its soft uneven ground with the wind in my face bringing the distinctive smell of Labrador tea which I found strangely comforting. After a long walk on the tundra admiring the mosses, lichens, grasses, berries and other plants I came away refreshed, calm and centered. The tundra reminded me not to judge things based on first impressions. At first glance it seemed empty but upon closer inspection I became keenly and delightfully aware that it is anything but empty. There is much to love.
Then - last but by no means least - I fell in love with the people. There is something very special about the people who live on the YK Delta. There are those who live here because their ancestors have called this place home for centuries. There are those who live here because the music they hear is just a little bit different. This place is just chock full of interesting folks!
In spite of the fact that they live with a never ending parade of constantly changing gussack faces, I found the Yupik people to be very welcoming and friendly ready to teach me what I was ready to learn and patient with my western ways. I fell in love with their humor. Did you know that I got lost in Tuntutuliak? Well I did. One dark, cold and windy morning while on my way to the clinic I took a wrong turn on the boardwalk. After walking for several minutes the clinic was nowhere in sight. I was cold and perplexed. I flagged down a very nice man on a 4-wheeler and explained my situation. He told me to hop on and he would take me to the clinic. When he dropped me off he looked at me curiously - this man from a village of about people - and asked me in his quiet Yupik way "Do you get lost in the city?"
In Pilot Station, I was transported in a truck with a passenger door that could only be opened from the outside. The driver - a nice young man - had to get out and walk around and open the door for me. I remarked to him, "Oh, I feel like such a lady having a man open the door for me." He responded, "Yes. I was thinking about getting down on one knee."
I loved being taught to cut fish, to speak a few Yupik phrases, to read the ice on the river, to jig for pike, to read the wave action on the river to know where to find the sand bars and to dance in the Yupik way. Understand that I'm not claiming to be very good at any of these things-but I loved the willingness to teach me. I loved being introduced to Yupik foods-some I liked very much and some I declared "interesting."
My father has always thought that I hung out with a rather odd crowd. Once when eating a handful of filberts I remarked "I've never met a nut I didn't like." My father replied dryly "You can say that again." Well, I think one of the reasons I have loved Bethel is that it is so full of nuts! I believe that in order to survive and thrive in Bethel one needs to be just a little different-and I mean that in the very best sense of the word. Run-of-the-mill ordinary vanilla white bread people just don't come here. Or, if they do, they certainly don't stay. So the people that remain are open, generous, interesting, intelligent, resilient, creative, resourceful, strong, adventurous, and just a little "bushy."
I have loved Bethel but Bethel is not my home. After 3½ years it is time for me to return to my family in Juneau. I will miss Bethel, my work-the fabulous diabetes team-and my many friends. I leave grateful for 3½ wonderful years, the memory of which will stay with me forever.
I wish all of you the very best. Fare thee well. Fare thee very well. I leave a little piece of my heart with you as I go.
