Mentors of the Heart
Yvette Neshi Lokotz (Jan, 2018) Do you remember the one mentor of yours that not only changed your life, but was your number one role model? Having a mentor is important to your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. The mentor I cherish to this day was Mrs. Counsell. She was my best boss. Mrs. Counsell was the first non-Native Elder who took an interest in my life and was there to listen, share her childhood experiences as fables, and encouraged me to do the best job no matter what the job was at the time.
I was 18 years old and not married yet. I worked for Parson’s Indian Trading Post in Lake Delton, WI. Mrs. Counsell owned the Trading Post. One of her sons ran the day to day operations and hired me for a sales clerk position. I would show up for work in the mornings just in time. Mrs. Counsell never missed anything happening within the Post. She would smile at me as I pulled— rather quickly—into the parking lot knowing I was cutting it close to be on time. I remember the time she found me at the pop machine soon after I arrived at work and noticed I bought an orange soda. She asked me, “Why orange?”
Credit: Paul Lokotz
I told her it was the closest drink to orange juice. After that pop machine encounter with her, she had orange juice in the communal refrigerator as well as English muffins for the new toaster. Now, I could have had breakfast at home, but I woke up just in time to shower and drive to work. Mrs. Counsell never lectured me about getting up earlier to have
Star Nations Magazine • January 2021 • 32
