Angels, I See Angels

What goes through your mind when faced with mortality, is beyond me, I just knew at that instance I was not going to die. Karma, fate, the good deeds, divine intervention, call it what you want but at that moment, I remember turning the wheels sharply to the left and the car being lifted off the ground. I ended up in a grassy knoll on the side of the expressway. Visibly shaken and profusely sweating, I began taking stock of what had just happened. I had just survived a near death experience, my little car that could was still running and I was free to go. Anyone who does not believe in God at this point can stop reading. Cautiously moving off the knoll, I felt that my little car had incurred some damage. I drove very slowly for about two miles and then stopped to ask directions. I stopped at a gas station where this nice latin lady did not speak English but there was another man who spoke a little and assured me that I was going in the right direction. At this point I just wanted to get home. I felt like Dorothy in Oz. Again I found a street that was on my mapquest direction, but, do I turn left or right, again I make the wrong choice, the difference now is that I could see the downtown skyline and I knew however lost I was that I would eventually make it to the Emerald City. Continued

Chaos Theory

After a brief tour of the facility and being introduced to a few key players (the lady in charge of discipline was my favorite), I was shown the kitchen. It was adequate enough, cabinets, a refrigerator (crammed full of juice boxes), double sink and to my surprise a restaurant stove. I could do this. The director and I worked out a plan, I was to come every Tuesday at 1 pm and would have 20 kids each time starting with Level 1, K-2nd grade, then Level 2: 3rd-6th grade, Level 3: 7th-9th grade, and the infamous Level 4 Teens (I love them). Knowing the plan, I started to think of the next step. Form a menu, procure the materials and create the lesson plan. No problem. Little did I know that I was about to make a terrible mistake. Starting back, I got out my trusty mapquest directions and started to reverse the course in my mind. It was rush hour and at some point I made a wrong turn and ended up at an octopus of an intersection where 8 streets converged with a railroad track running through. With only 30 seconds to decide and a thousand cars behind me, I chose a street where there were no cars, bad mistake. I began to hear a symphony of horns all hearlding my impending doom. I had turned down the exit ramp of the freeway. When I realized what I had done, there was a city bus and an 18-wheeler coming directly at me. Continued

A Shakey Start

After talking to the young lady that directed the Freedom School and getting directions for a site visit, I could not turn back. She gave me directions to a church located in a part of the city that was as alien to me as another planet. I don't think I've ever been outside of the loop. Nevertheless, I had made a commitment and was determined to keep it. The morning was just like any other Tuesday morning, I was off from work, unrushed and well rested. I got up did a mapquest of the address, the lady had given me and wrote down the directions and felt pretty sure that I would have no problems finding the place. While taking my morning shower, however, doubt again creeped into my thoughts. I started hearing all the conversations I had with well meaning friends about what was going to happen, I had no experience teaching children, how was I going to maintain control, how was I going to keep them interested, will I be effective? Then it dawned on me, THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU. Again feeling confident, I set out
to the church following my handwritten directions. To my surprise I arrived exactly in the right place at the right time, providence was with me. I called the director on my cell phone because the facility appeared to be closed, she directed me to come to the side entrance and there she was a beautiful young woman with a smile that immediately made me feel welcomed. And what's this, she's as pregnant as pie. I didn't realize it at the time, but so was I. We were both about to give birth. Continued

The Project's Beginnings

One day you wake up and realize that your body is older than your mind. When that happens, one of two things occur. You begin to work on your body and try to stave off the ravages of time or you go inward to find yourself and what you have become. That reckoning came for me one day last summer. It started innocently enough at a fund raising event. I was seated among a group of extraordinary strangers and started bragging about my culinary abilities. It was then that they challenged me to use these abilites to help others. Naturally I agreed never thinking that I would ever hear from them again. How wrong and lucky for me that out of this, something wonderful was about to happen in my life. I was asked to teach a group of 80 children in a summer reading program. After agreeing, I began to ask myself if I could really do this, was I as good a teacher as a braggard. After a rough start and a few setbacks, I realized that I could indeed do this and could do it on a regular basis. I knew lots of people in the nonprofit sector who suggested that I turn this whim into a fully pledged life contribution. Me, teaching kids how to cook, who would have thought? After the first class, the spell had been casted and I could think of nothing better to do with my time. It consumed my days and nights. How to move forward? Continued