Posted on 11/21/2007 12:06:39 PM PST by greyfoxx39
"Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”
- Psalm 95
A 7-year-old can find lots of things to do with rocks. They're good for stacking, throwing, pounding and keeping, among other things.
“I collect the rocks and sell them so people can get food when they need it,” said 7-year-old Caden Stufflebeam. “I just sit down on the sidewalk so people can buy them when they come by. I thought it would be nice.”
Caden's collection of rocks for sale won't put any jewelers out of business. He's got a stripy one with green tints, and a metamorphic chunk with a marble edge that looks like teeth in a jawbone. He's got an eroded seashell that looks like a weird rock. And he'll sell any one of them for between a dime and a dollar to help someone less fortunate get something to eat.
The Missoula boy has plenty of hobbies beyond rock collecting. He's performed with the Missoula Children's Theatre and loves to play soccer, football and T-ball with friends. A couple of times, he's set up a lemonade stand on a hot summer day. At Valley Christian School, his favorite first-grade subjects are Bible time and recess.
“I started when I was 7,” Caden said, of his collection. That would have been on his birthday in June. “I just walk around and find them - some by my grandma's apartment, some up by Libby Creek. Once I collected so many rocks, my bag started to break so we had to hurry home.”
“I think it's hereditary,” said his grandmother, Kathy Tennison. “I'd wash out my son's pants and there'd always be all kinds of rocks in there.”
Caden has a blue velvet bag where he keeps his latest striped stones and oxidized minerals. After rinsing them, he puts the wares in a pink plastic washtub. A hand-written sign taped to one side has circles showing the sizes of 10-cent, 25-cent and $1 rocks. The recent snowfall has crimped the rockhounding season.
“If I flew to New Mexico, I could find some more,” Caden said. “It's not that snowy there now.”
His mother, Salisha Stufflebeam, said she had no idea about the project until Tennison called her a couple weeks ago.
“She was depressed - she said ‘Caden's outside my apartment selling rocks and not many people are stopping by,' ” Salisha said. “He wanted to make sure everyone could eat on Thanksgiving. So we decided maybe let's make some phone calls.”
They called aunts and uncles and neighbors and friends. Pretty soon, Caden had sold $15 worth of rocks. They took the money to the Rosauer's supermarket, which has a table set up for making food donations to the needy. Caden's contribution paid for three sacks of groceries.
“I asked him why, and he said it's his purpose,” Salisha said. “He said God gives everyone a purpose.”
“I think I might keep on selling rocks,” Caden said. “Then I can buy more bags for the hungry to eat other dinners. I think God has a purpose for me to sell rocks.”
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at rchaney@missoulian.com.
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I’d buy a rock from him.
Yes, very British.
Don’t forget, rocks can injure or kill. And he’s putting more of them on the street!
I’m thinking he’s his own hair stylist too.......
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
What a great story. Thanks for the ping.
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