The Journey from Five Islands to Three Lakes
by Lori Puckett
September 08, 2006
The journey of my life has jumped from the land of five islands, into a place of jack- rabbits, badlands, Black Hills, more lakes, and hornets’ nests. The start of my trek began near Five Island Lake in a high spirited Irish community; my birthplace- Emmetsburg, Iowa. When I turned eighteen years old, I wanted to explore wide open spaces so, I hopped west onto Interstate 90 and then on Interstate 29. I headed north to Brookings, South Dakota where I earned my bachelors degree in physical education-go SDSU Jackrabbits! It was there that I met my husband and later married him in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In the early 80’s, we had our children, Roxanne and Chance in the SD badlands- Pine Ridge, South Dakota to be exact. I earned a special education endorsement at Oglala Lakota University in 1993 when my own children were able to fend for themselves.
After 14 years of teaching Native American students, and managing a cattle ranch in the South Dakota Badlands, the Puckett foursome headed east on Interstate 80 to Kansas into the land of three lakes- more specifically, into the domain of my employer, Three Lakes Educational Cooperative who have allowed me to work at Marais des Cygnes Valley High School as an Interrelated Teacher since 2000. My current job consists of working with young adults on reading, writing, and math, vocational, functional, and organizational skills. Part of my job consists of writing long compliant Individual Education Plans. I established the Freedom Cookie Company which has been raising money for fine dining and museum viewing field trips since 2001.
Last year, I escaped out of the hornets’ nest after receiving my master’s degree in special education from Emporia State University. My teaching travels have been ongoing since 1982. My life’s ride from islands to lakes has not been without rests. I escape from the route daily: writing (long autobiographies), yoga, swimming, gardening, building, cooking, sewing, scrap booking, painting, and traveling are a few of the avocations I take part in away from my teaching vocation.
From the five islands of my birth place, into my three lakes employment, there have been jackrabbits, badlands, Black Hills, and hornets along the way. During the summers, after I am fully rested, I hop back on the track with my husband Phil, and we revisit our lives once again to see my parents and the wild Irish roses of Five Island Lake, our Lakota family and friends at our old ranch in the Pine Ridge reservation in the badlands and Black Hills, my running jack rabbit brother and his family in the lakes of Minnesota, and last but not least, back into the hornets nest of Emporia to grab our seven month old grandson, Kyler. He continues to keep us on the run. My life’s been fun.
