Avoyelles Parish catches 'rock fever'

This latest search-and-find phenomenon is “Avoyelles Parish Rocks.”

    It involves rocks that have been painted with colorful designs or with inspirational messages that have been  “hidden” in plain sight so others can share the joy and inspiration. The finders are then encouraged to relocate the rocks to somewhere else so the cycle of positivity can continue.

    Sherry Vidrine of Eola initiated the local craze, but stresses that she did not come up with the idea. She was invited by a cousin in Evangeline Parish to participate in the “Evangeline Parish Rocks” Facebook page. She enjoyed it so much, she decided to bring it back to her home parish.

    “I invited about 80 people to join my Facebook page, ‘Avoyelles Parish Rocks,’” Vidrine said. “Now I have over 4,000 members on the page. There are members from all over the parish, not just one or two communities, doing this.”

    When a person finds a rock, they are supposed to take a picture of it, post it on the Facebook page and relocate it.

    Many of those participating write “Avoyelles Parish Rocks” on the back of the stone.

    “Some of the Avoyelles rocks have been found outside of the parish,” Vidrine said. “We had a picture posted from Singapore of one of our rocks found there,” Vidrine added.

   On the other end of the process, a visitor from New Zealand helped paint and place rocks around the parish. 

   Vidrine said the purpose of the effort is “to uplift others by using rocks.”

   To play is easy, inexpensive and fun. It is an activity that can involve the entire family, an individual, a civic club, a church group or a school class.

   Vidrine said she, husband Jamie, and their two children, Maci, age 13 and Karson, age 10, all enjoy painting, placing and searching for the rocks.

    If there is a “handbook” for the project, it goes like this.

    “Find rocks and paint them with encouraging words or a pic that would bring a smile to someone’s face,” Vidrine said. “Use paint that can withstand the weather, such as acrylic, and put a clear coat to seal your masterpiece.

    “Leave the rocks outside in public places for other to find,” she continued. “Do not put them indoors.

    “If you find a painted rock, post a pic and your story on the Facebook Group for all of us to enjoy. You can relocate the rock once found, replace it with a new one or just take a pic with it and leave it there. Just keep the positivity going.”

    There are only two “thou shalt nots” in the program.

    First, advertising on the Avoyelles Parish Rocks Facebook page is a no-no. Ads will be deleted.

    Most importantly, messages and images on rocks should be “appropriate” for all age groups. Inappropriate posts to the Facebook page will be deleted.

    Vidrine said the purpose is not to create great art or to promote any particular social or political agenda -- “except to spread a positive feeling to others, especially in these times.”

    She said the tiny tokens of kindness “can be inspirational to someone or just bring a smile to someone’s face.”

   Most comments about the craze have been positive.

   District Attorney Charles Riddle said he recently found one of the rocks at a service station and “was so excited. It sends a positive message and promotes Avoyelles Parish. I will start painting some rocks myself.”

   Yolanda Ferguson lives in Bunkie and works in Marksville.

   “We started it for inspiration and it just kicked off from there,” she said. “It’s not just enjoyable for the kids, but for the grown-ups, too. It is exciting to see how Avoyelles Parish has come together for these rocks.”

   Steve Gauthier, a Cottonport police officer, posted a photo of “Blue Lives Matter” rocks found at the Cottonport station.

  “I don’t know who the culprit is, but you made some police officers very happy,” he posted. “Thank  you whoever you are.”

   He said the rocks were a pleasant surprise and “we appreciate it very much.”

   Sue Bordelon of Bordelonville, another member of the Facebook group,  posted, “This group and the idea behind this is amazing. This has helped my little girl so much. She lost her cousin/best friend three months ago suddenly. I’ve tried many things to help her cope with this loss and nothing keeps her interest. This is keeping her mind occupied and she actually said yesterday, while we were hunting, ‘Mommy, this is so much fun.’ I haven’t heard her say those words about anything since her world changed. So, to whomever started this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

   Bordelon also posted  that “this whole experience is awesome and is bringing so many people together -- all because someone decided to paint a rock.”

She said she believes the activity is “helping so many people of all ages. It is amazing to be a part of this group.”

    Cindy Chauffepied Reed of Hessmer said the activity “is so positive and the entire parish, young and old, are enjoying this. The painting of the rocks as a family is awesome and the locating of the rocks is another positive.”

    She said she is glad to see it “kick off like it has in this parish. I know other parishes are doing it, but it is such a positive thing for Avoyelles.

    “I could be having a bad day and pick up a rock that says, ‘Smile. Someone loves you,’ and it can change the way I feel,” Reed continued. “We always hear the bad news, but this is a positive thing and I am glad to see the whole parish getting involved in it.”

    The group is sponsoring a 9/11 commemorative event at the courthouse at noon today to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and to honor local police, fire and emergency response personnel for their service. Painted rocks will be on display at the event.

    Like the rocks themselves, the idea of using the painted rocks to spread hope, joy and inspiration has been picked up and brought to other places around the U.S. and the world.

   The Evangeline program was borrowed from Missouri, where several communities adopted the simple, joy-spreading pastime. 

   A quick internet search yields stories from communities on the East Coast, West Coast and many points in between.

   In all of the accounts of groups taking up local versions of the project, the common thread is the feeling of joy that is shared by those painting the small rocks and those finding the small tokens.

   As several Facebook posters have said, it is “amazing” and “awesome” that something so simple can be a source of joy and inspiration.

   It proves the old saying correct that “big things come in small packages.”