My "first" (sounds kinky, eh?) was "The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey." It hit the right note for me, talking about disabilities as an obstacle, not as a deal-breaker. Unlike Douglas, I do not have a "tic" nor do I have ADHD... but an hearing impairment.
My second was notable-m... an interesting individual who shared her day-to-day activities and thoughts. She showed me a glimpse in her life, not too far off from my own, in terms of habits and general life.
The third, Epiphany in Baltimore... a good hearted individual who has a compassion about life and optimism and faith in humanity, despite the minor challenges he has (living on a teachers salary and finding the time to really spread his wings in the social/romantic arenas of life).
Today, I particularly enjoyed Epiphany's "Faith Rocked". Despite the time he wrote it (the day after the unfortunate bombings in London, he continues to believe, "I believe that people are born good, and that it's the world that makes them bad." He goes on about how he has been a positive influence as teaches his students who are facing the grim reality of inner-city life. I responded to him with these comments and my personal experiences:
Remarkable and inspiring post... you are a good man, charlie brown, to belief. You are absolutely right about people turning a blind eye when they see the unfortunate in the third world countries. One of my most precious experiences in life was my visit to one of the poorest countries in the world, The Republic of Niger. I spent two weeks there and it simply restored my faith in humanity. Even though the village of Maraka had very little, their hearts were filled with gold. They were the village that raised a child together and with pride. They had no sense of national identity, just of their village.
One time they offered my family and I several cooked chickens (so small and so skinny) just as a token of friendship. Unfortunately, it is not something we could eat and cannot insult them by giving it back, especially if it was my sister's Peace Corp village.
For a village to give so much when they have so little, is an inspiration and is enough to restore your faith, even when there are people out there with a different line of thinking.
Thanks for the posting and being a genuine human being with great intentions... if only others would follow your example and good faith!
In my life, I have also worked for the Boys and Girls Club, a remarkable experience. It fed my need to want to help make a positive impact on this world, but unfortunately (as I have been told), I need to shine a light on my own path before I can carry the torch to show others the way. Left that job to take one for an offer I could not refuse. With more money to meet ends and the chance to start something anew in a new place, I had to take the chance to discover myself with new experiences. I don't regret my decision for I am at a good place with people who are fun to work with. But my experiences with the club will never be forgotten. The Boys and Girls Club of American has my admiration, even though they have their politics which every organization has.
I have always been a sucker for the feel good/ inspirational movies... movies where people change for the positive and people become a success story. Some movies I love: Coach Carter, Good Will Hunting, With Honors, Patch Adams, Dangerous Minds, Rudy, Lean on Me, etc. Even though they are just movies, I hope someday to become someone worthy of inspiration.
When working at the Boys and Girls Club, (which is under The Salvation Army in the Baltimore Region) work was stressful... both The Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Club have two different missions so it seems there was a little conflict of interest at times, but both with very honorable and worthy intentions. I never could understood why the two powerhouse charities came together in the Baltimore Region. I think both would be more successful independent, fulfilling each of their missions to the greatest.
Unfortunately, there was so little help at the Club it made it hard make the greatest impact. Luckily, my supervisor there was very passionate about the cause and genuinely cared about the people who walked through those doors. She came across as a difficult person, but she truly cared and devote an enormous amount of time and energy to effort. Despite her efforts, she was at the same disadvantage, too little help with so many walking through the door. The ages varied so much you could not do effective programming and giving the attention to the boy and girls they deserved. Most of the youth there come to play basketball rather than anything else. We would have power hour (a hour of working on homework, prior to any other activities) and their mind would do nothing but wander. But how can you blame them, they were at school all day and the last thing they would want to do is look at more books with nobody to help them learn what they don't understand.
There was a time I discovered a young boy who could not read... he was getting by with the hints of others. I remember working with him to read a book... asking him to sound out the word, I would start a sound and he would think of the first word that comes to mind that has that sound. Smart, clever kid, but it would not help read the book for himself. He got easily frustrated as he lived in a tough neighborhood. Talked to his mother about his reading ability, and she was shocked, but was very supportive, although she has so little time to meet ends and give the attention he deserves. That is the story for most of the children in the club... little positive parental influence. Don't get me wrong, there have been some great parents there, but oftentimes, they are single parents who work hard to provide for their children and self. My heart goes out to them for that. But the children have less of a chance to get ahead without their positive support. If you want to make a difference, volunteer your time... keep an open mind, knowing those you work with are not walking in the shoes you wore but shoes too big or too small for your feet. Keep in mind the people you world with have different teachings growing up, some you may not agree with, some you would wish you have had. Some of those teachings may be different and unorthodox, but that does not mean they are bad. Keep an open mind and let the experience help you grow, just as you make a difference for them. A lot of times people are taught a way of thinking because they have to or because they have not been taught but learned by themselves, not knowing one way or another. It is something to consider the next time you come across another who doesn't share your perspective. Hearing people out and trying to figure out why someone does something is intriguing to me, it also helps make the best of a situation. So my take home message: Keep an open mind and open heart.
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