Many years ago, an Englishman named John Spilsbury came up with a curious invention. He decided to draw a map of the world and cut it into many pieces. Then the scrambled pieces had to be put together. It was going to be an educational game: a fun challenge of one’s knowledge of geography. It was made of wood and, since it happened in 1767, the ingenious Englishman had to cut the pieces with a very basic jigsaw. Today, almost 300 years later his bewildering creation lives on and even though nowadays it is made of paperboard the name stuck and we still call it a “jigsaw puzzle”.
It is estimated that 150 million people in the United States enjoy Spilsbury’s ageless invention at least once a year. My friend Amanda does it much, much more often. In fact, she is such a prolific puzzle solver that I firmly believe she could participate in the World Championship in Spain next month. And that is just one of her many skills.
“You should meet this girl”, I was told, “She is simply amazing!”
Amanda and I met 6 years ago. She had just joined the Neighborhood Network in Lawrence and everybody was talking about her. “You should meet this girl”, I was told, “She is simply amazing!” I was intrigued – who is this young lady? And why is everyone so enamored with her? Well, all my questions were answered five minutes into our first meeting. Yes, Amanda was naturally charming, gregarious and intelligent but at the same time she was polite, respectful and kind. Marveling at her rare amalgamation of knowledge and positive energy I realized I had found a great new friend!
In the last five years Amanda has become the heart and soul of the Neighborhood Network. Possessing an astonishing memory, she seems to know everyone’s schedule and often helps both residents and professional neighbors with activities and chores. Amanda is all about helping. Nothing gives her more satisfaction than being in service to others.
“She is the den-mother of the Neighborhood Network. She is just always there for everyone. We all love her!”
– Taylor, Professional Neighbor
Growing up in a close-nit family with five siblings she seems to have developed a powerful instinct to protect and support everyone around her. There is a distinct sense of an “older sister vibe” between her and her younger roommate, DJ. Watching her guide, assist and entertain her roomie is nothing short of heart-warming. “She is the den-mother of the Neighborhood Network. She is just always there for everyone. We all love her!” Says Taylor, one of her favorite professional neighbors.
Her own schedule is a wild vortex of activities. She is an enthusiastic member of the RISE program, works at KU, goes to seemingly every community outing, attends concerts, festivals and sporting events, visits Midnight Farm, exercises, cooks, swims and is omnipresent at all social activities. Oh, and in-between all of this she somehow finds the time to solve 3000-piece jigsaw puzzles. She does it together with her best friend Austin who lives next door. In tandem they are one unstoppable puzzle-solving powerhouse. I often visit them and lately I’ve noticed something interesting: the puzzles are getting more and more difficult. The magnificent duo is no longer satisfied with the entry-level riddles and is seeking more and more challenging puzzles. In solving them, Amanda and Austin work seamlessly together like a perfectly synchronized sports team.
Speaking of this, Amanda is a huge sports fan. I frequently watch Chiefs games with her, Austin, Robbie, Derek and a few other Neighborhood Network residents and Amanda seems to know by heart not only every player’s statistics but also their personal stories. “Since I can remember, she was a huge Jayhawks fan”, shared her mom Cynthia, “Amanda just knows everything there is to know about the hawks.” Yes, she is encyclopedic about KU’s teams, but I would add that she knows pretty much everything about the Chiefs and the Royals as well. “Her memory is like a steel trap. She remembers so much it can get intimidating.”, says Erin who has been working at the Neighborhood Network for many years, “She is on top of everything and is always trying to help. Amanda has a big heart.”
“Big heart? Certainly!”, confirms Cynthia, “But it wasn’t always easy for her. She’s been through some hard times in the past and had to overcome a lot.”
Amanda was born and raised in Bonner Springs, Kansas. She was the fifth of six children and after graduating from high school her family realized she needed to find a pathway towards growth and independence. She joined a local residential program but after three years felt that her progress was becoming stagnant. Amanda had reached a ceiling and needed a new opportunity. That’s when her family discovered GoodLife.
“She has really grown since joining the Neighborhood Network.”, added Cynthia, ”Her transformation has been impressive. From someone in need of constant care, she has become not only independent but a person who helps others. Before, she hardly went anywhere. There were no opportunities for her to socialize. Now it’s completely different. She does so much, including the things she loved as a kid – being outdoors, spending time with animals, gardening, and volunteering. The Neighborhood Network opened an entire world for her with many friends and acquaintances, not to mention she lives in the same town as her beloved Jayhawks.”
Amanda not only lives close to her favorite university but works there as well. She loves her job at KU food services so much she can’t wait for the summer vacation to be over so she can go back to work.
Knowing Amanda…the thinking, selfless, attentive and caring Amanda even in times of crisis, has made me a better person. Being her friend has helped me retain my humanity.
This February I drove with Amanda and a few other Neighborhood Network residents to the Chiefs parade in Kansas City. There were over a million fans at the event, so we had to park far away. We didn’t mind the long walk because it was a surprisingly warm winter day. After spending hours singing, cheering, dancing and celebrating our Super Bowl champions we decided to leave just before the last speech.
We walked by the Union Station completely unsuspecting that very soon this very place will become a tragic scene of a mass shooting incident. We heard the shots fifteen minutes later as we walked towards our vehicle. In true Amanda fashion, she helped me calm everyone down and suggested we call everyone’s relatives and let them know we are safe before they find out about the shooting from the news. Then she proceeded to tell pedestrians who were unaware of the situation to walk away from the station. Finally, she turned towards me and said: “Don’t forget to call your wife too. She must know you are OK.”
You know, life can be such a challenge sometimes. We are all, more or less, floating inside the same pressure cooker trying desperately to survive and find our place in an increasingly chaotic world. We all have dreams, hopes, goals, fears…The journey is tumultuous and unforgiving, so it is important while we swim against the currents to not forget the most important thing we own – our humanity. Knowing Amanda…the thinking, selfless, attentive and caring Amanda even in times of crisis, has made me a better person. Being her friend has helped me retain my humanity.
You can only build a beautiful puzzle and a beautiful life step-by-step….one piece at a time.
Yes, it’s true – sometimes, life can be a jigsaw. Other times a puzzle. But mostly it is both – a giant, scrambled up jigsaw puzzle. We are just trying to put the thousands of scattered pieces together, to find ourselves inside the big picture. It is not a coincidence that Amanda loves jigsaw puzzles. If you take two random pieces and try to force them together you will fail. It takes patience, focus, strategy, consistency and teamwork. You can only build a beautiful puzzle and a beautiful life step-by-step….one piece at a time.
Amanda keeps challenging herself to newer and more intricate puzzles, and that is also not by accident. She knows – the riddle doesn’t end – there shouldn’t be a final piece for us long as the puzzle-solver has air in their lungs. The empty spaces are there for a reason. They inspire us to keep searching for the perfect shape, the perfect color, the perfect answer.
I’ve learned an important lesson from Amanda, she teaches it every single day – if you go through life with curiosity, honesty, kindness and passion in your heart, you will one day be able to stand in front of the mirror and say – My goodness…What a wonderful puzzle.
