a sea of people

it is morning and a sea of people gather where so much has passed, so many feet have trampled, tears have been shed and are being shed now. Carts pulled by horses, then horsepower fueled cars then skateboards then Rollerblades then kids on wheeled shoes then back to the feet of people, seas of people walking slowly plagued by the volume of others, feet moving slowly from cold, from the heaviness of emotion from the pace of change.

but this change came rapidly in comparison to the change of other movement. In one newscasters adult life, from not being able to eat a hamburger on this street to honoring a new leader of his same station and race. this change has not taken long in comparison to change reluctant to occur in foreign lands or change yet to occur in my bigoted neighbors hearts. relatively rapidly AMERICA as a country has been able to change. it has been quick in the grand scheme of history. quick but not easy. nothing great ever is.

i watch the sea of people and wonder will all of this brotherhood, this inspired solidarity change quicker that it arrived? sometimes the brightest stars fade the fastest. I wonder will the people ho live the thug life with the excuse that there is no other way out of their predicament find new excuses to lead a crime/grime/saggy jeans life or be inspired to don a suit and a book bag filled with potential. i wonder will one mis-step set us back 60 years. i wonder will the children that are buried in that sea of people go back home and insist on a better life for themselves, their Friends, their families, their world.

Will it fade when they realize our new administration does not mean free gas and free rides but will mean that all people are called to hard work equally. there is no free lunch, the status quo for all stereotypes must change. The gang banger, the Ebonics, the bigots, the slacker, the whiner, the free-loader, the separatists...it all has to change it all has to grow and work and struggle and shed the ignorance that has been so comfortable for so long.

politicians are politicians and well spoken ones have not much more real power to change than those with a twang. But what i really hope will change is that the people in the next neighborhood over, and in the slums and the un-titled Mercedes benz's will now be called to do more with their lives than perpetuate a culture of violence on their own neighbors, that little kids will see a black president as a better goals than that of a rapper or fast dime street hustler. that now there will seem to be a reward to hard work rather than use lack of black heroes as an excuse to continue a viscous cycle of black on black violence, drug culture and ignorance.

my hope is that every black child can get rid of the excuse can stand up to their peers and theirs teachers and say that anything is possible and i am not going to settle for the stereotype that my community has allowed to exist.

my hope is that this president's real change will be in changing stereotypes that keep us all separate, that keep the notions of "us" and "them" that keep neighborhood lines drawn tightly between black ones and white ones, that make black kids say that their peers who speak clearly are "talking white"--ridiculous---my prayer is that change trickles down to everyone. My husband, my friends, the kids i pass on my way to work, the teachers, the employers, the co-workers, the grocery store workers, that change allows us all to up our game and rid ourselves of "us" and "them".

we'll just have to see....

social network networth

I am currently working on a project for Operation Smile, actually a huge big crazy exciting endeavor that will bring 200+/- people form 30+/- countries here to Virginia Beach in about 72 hours....and it is my responsibility to entertain and delight them. WOO HOO. YAY ME! I'm actually super excited and honored to be in the capacity. I have been part of the opsmile family for almost 2 years now and have lived pretty much in a donor relations bubble. a nice comfy bubble where I have worked under 2 amazing women and have been able to identify needs and create plans, procedures and materials to meet them.
this role has truly fulfilled my personal and professional longings...service/creativity/chaos/exceeding expectations and other really cool thing. I have grown as a person and professional.

but now I have been popped out of the bubble and thrust into the other world of OPSMILE. The mission/international/language stifled/logistics defying world of a truly global organization. I am so excited to learn word like "Beach" and "Iced Tea" in 30 languages. I think i might play a little game, like maybe I'll find out how many different cultures do the electric slide or who is more popular Mick Jagger or John Lennon. I'll bet Lennon because of the whole Yoko Ono thing. She's pretty international, Jerry Hall is not.

One of my resolutions this year (that might actually happen) is to write more, to do some art, to DO SOMETHING. as opposed to looking forward to my prime time television addictions and the Sunday paper. well I'll still make sure i catch CHUCK and the Sunday Paper....but as I am doing now, i will also type away the ramblings of a do-gooder.

that said, I'll keep you posted on the mick Jagger thing (if there is a "you" to be had) and I will do my best this week to represent the US and Hampton Roads with excellence.

over and out (wonder how they say that in Tagalog?)