Its been an interesting week to say the least. We started on a float and completed a service project for another Non Profit that was a mural for a stage. It was really great to watch these kids who enjoy creativity, CREATE.
Its also been interesting to see this team, once given some power to create the program as they want it, create it to break it down….No accountability, no ownership, no encouragement….Just BREEEAAAAAKKKKKDOWNNNNNNN!
So we have directed them and gotten frustrated and talked of “sacrificial lambs” and such….That we had to “make a statement” and so on and so forth.
Well, today the press came to visit our facility and our program. Because our organization is designed as it is, interactions with the press are generally handled through a PR person but sometimes we are allowed to just give general information.
The press showed up and after getting some basics from us as a staff, wanted to talk to our students. I just randomly ran through my head and walked out of the office and saw TJ in the hallway.
I walked up to him and I said….
“So TJ, wanna see your name in the papers???”
“Uhhhmmm….. YEAH MAN!!”
“OK, follow me, we are going to go see a reporter!”
“What??right now?? What?? What and I gunna say?? How ….where…..”
“Dude, just go in and tell them about YouthBuild and why you are here…That’s easy!”
“OK, I can do that!”
He walked into the room, sat across from the reporter and they started to talk.
TJ went on about the opportunity and what he wanted to do with his life and how he was happy to be here….Then he went and started to talk about his kids….HOLY CRAP!!
“I am here because I have 2 kids and I want them to have a great life…nice clothes….food on their table….. I want them to be OK!”
OH MY GOD, I was so stunned!!! Just 12 hours before this, I was in a meeting and we were discussing how “ungrateful” these kids are and how we need to “cut”one to “make a point” and I am listening to these words coming out of his mouth….I was choked up man…truly!
TJ completed his interview and I thought it would be nice to have a girls point of view and thought Cristina would be a great pic for this and I went out to find her…
I walked up to her and I said…
“Hey girl, you wanna be a STARRRRRRRR?!”
And tossed my head back like some long blond haired actress…
She laughed and said …
“Well of course!”
“I have a reported in here that wants to talk to some YouthBuild student, you wanna make the papers??”
“UH Yeah, lets go! What do I talk about?”
“Just tell her about what YouthBuild is to you and why you are here…That’s it…Just be honest!”
She walked in, sat down, and they started the interview. It was a general question and answer, she was able to tell her story, talk about her dreams, her goals, her kids….Then she said this, right out of the blue….
“YouthBuild gives us hope….When we don’t have anything else, we have YouthBuild!!”
I almost gagged as I swallowed my emotion….I couldn’t believe it! She went on to talk about the program and I just had to stop her and I said…
“Cristina, THANK YOU for saying that! That was a very kind thing for you to say. I am glad we are here for you….But girl, you are about to make me choke up back here….Don't you make me cry!!”
The interview ended with Cristina and then I thought the best representative for this team and this program was the guy THIS TEAM voted as their President….I went out and got Joe….
“Joe, come in her man!!”
he ran up to me and said…
“Wassup??”
“I want you to go talk about YouthBuild, your team and what you are here for to a reporter….you cool with that?”
“Yeah man, lets go…”
I was amazed man, these kids were nervous and have never had anything like this happen in their lives and they just TOOK IT ON!
Joe went and sat down and again, the interview went on with general questions and answers and then the reporter asked Joe…
“Why are you here?”
“Well, this is a second chance for me. I made some bad decisions in my life and now I have a place that wants to help me find a way instead of a dead end…. These people accept me for what I am, not what I have done and they want my life to be better for mine and my family….Its nice to have people that care…”
OK, now I am about to friggin choke to death trying to hold this back…..I was even thinking… “Man, I wish I had this on video!!”
I swear man, there is magic in every moment….It really makes all the difference in the world when you just PAY ATTENTION!!
Its been a really tough week….These kids trying to govern themselves has rung up about 500.00 in fines in 5 days….I have a very strong feeling that when they start to actually SEE this affect their pocketbook, we will see SHIFT happen!! ;)
The paper will publish the story next week and I am sure I will get it posted, but I am SOOOOOO happy these kids REALLY DO see the value in what is being offered here, and its really great to know that even in the roughest times, they still really do appreciate the opportunity!
GO YOUTHBUILD!!! OWTFDWIT!!!!!!
Incredible brother! Makes you think about when we were ungrateful for what we had in front of us at M3. Chris comes out yelling at us about how we had twenty some odd minutes and what we could have created with that time and we were all confused, then we got pissed. People started getting bitchy, then he started talking about his rules and how he was going to start kicking people out for not following the rules, then shortly after that we broke up into buddy groups and we found out how to get kicked out! Shit! I want this, but there's no way I can have this if he gets kicked out we both get kicked out, how do I take care of my buddy? Dammit! Well, here it is us against them, all I see is a dark tunnel and the light of possibility fading rapidly into the distance! FUCK IT! IF HE GOES WE GO, I'M READY TO PUSH TO THE END. Well, you know the rest of the story we completed that journey and I have the picture to prove it! I'll need to scan that in and post it. Now look at us, we've been given the chance and the choice to change. From my perspective we've both went from knowing the path to walking the path, you just started walking it a little sooner than I did. Thanks for being my buddy! 4 all day long!
ReplyDeleteSo true Shannon....The more I live, the more I GET that LP IS LIFE!! So much of what I experienced there I see mirrored here... What a blessing it is to be a part of this... And man, YOU BETTER scan that pic...I wanna see it!
ReplyDeletePeace.....Brad