little ray of sunshine

The boys came back to CCP the next day. Their behavior was terrible, and I actually had to call in the 'heavy hitters'- their mentors. They had offered their services when we first started J and N in CCP, but I didn't think I'd ever actually have to call them in.

I felt so stressed when I went home that night.

Lucky for me, we left for Atlanta for our mid-year retreat the next day. I had dreams of warm weather and clear skies. So, of course, it rained.

I remember now how winter is in the South. Cold and damp.

Although, despite the cloudy skies and general wetness of the air, I marvelled at walking around without a hat and scarf. Sometimes, I wouldn't even have a coat- just my hoody sweatshirt.

We did a Myers-Briggs test, and I found that I am currently without personality. The one that I came up with (INTP) doesn't fit me at all. So then I read over the ones I've previously come up with (INFP and ENFP). They're both close, but I"m really somewhere between, I think.

Michael was INTJ. He laughed while he read the assessment and said, "It even tells me about my childhood!"

I got to ride a bike and eat at Waffle House and see my friend Elizabeth who kept me laughing while I ate pie and drank sweet tea. We also went bowling, and watched movies, and had quiet, tame prayer service/workshops. It was a very relaxing time.

And then the sun came out, right before we left. So that was nice.

Once back in Chicago, my community went to visit Sr. Fran, who worked as a facilitator with some problems we've been having recently. It was kind of a rough afternoon, and rather than being solved, I kind of feel like as soon as we left, everything was swept back under the rug. It's too much for me to deal with personally. I don't want to bring it up. I don't even want to talk about it here except to mention that there is some stress at home now.

But work certainly improved. J and N are opening up to me- sometimes a little too much. They're fifteen year old boys, in all their shining glory, and man oh man do I hear some interesting things from them.

They're doing well with their coursework. They've really made a lot of progress this week. And they're proud when they make progress, and it inspires them to work harder. Today, N told me that he's learned more here than in the high school he attended last year, which means at least that he enjoys it here.

No art class this week, but I think next week I'm going to put the comic book on hold, start the kids on charcoal, and then move on to clay sculpting. The comic was coming along so well, but then all the sudden became a daunting task that no one wanted to finish. I think we just spent too much time on the one thing.

I talked with Sr. Angie a while back, and I"m going to have a theatre program this summer. That is going to be a lot of fun, and a lot of work. But there are so many young adults intersted in theatre, that I think it will be awesome. I"m so excited about it.

It's a beautiful day out, and one person has visited the computer lab since J and N left. And he's a college student and certainly not in need of tutoring. I think I'm going to head out early- maybe play on the computer at home and try to make some headway on those posters for Hope Program.

Or maybe I'll just curl up with my laptop and get some more writing done...

Who knows?

Knot of worry

I've got a knot of worry in my stomach right now. J and N didn't show up to CCP Lab this morning. That on its own caused only a minor amount of disappointment. Either they're just missing a day, or they're dropping out of the program.

But then I was talking with Alberto, who mentioned that word is geting around the street about CCP Lab. He was talking to some of the older gang-bangers, and they had expressed interest. He said they'd talk about it. He doesn't want them in at the same time as J and N, because we're trying to keep them from getting too involved in the gangs. The older guys mentioned to Alberto that J and N are getting into some sort of trouble, but wouldn't say what.

They're not here right now. They're doing something else. I'm worried about what they're getting into.

I really hope they show up tomorrow.

grapes that can be nasally fitted

Yes, I know. I'm 27. And after 24 and a half years of life on this earth, I should have grown up at least a little.

And, you know, I'm not mentioning any names, but I will say that I managed to get two (2) people who are almost as old as me, and who by all rights should be roughly as mature as me, to stick grapes up their noses for a quarter each.

It's silly, I know. But I really had not laughed so hard in forever.

It was absolutely worth fifty cents.

When you're poor, you make your own cheap fun.

Speaking of which, I went to a free Folk Music Fesitival at the University of Chicago on Saturday. It was so good. I picked up poetry writing again while I was there. I had been missing it lately, focusing mainly on short stories and my two books. I bought a rainbow-colored hemp hat that Michael hates and I love. I learned about modal keys on guitar, and I've been having fun experimenting with it since. Plus, Daena and I went to a clogging workshop. Clogging is difficult on its own. I was wearing snow boots.

Sunday, we went as a community to a Chocolate Festival at the Garfield Park Conservitory. It was also free. Free festivals rock. Especially when there is music or free chocolate samples, and especially when you get to look at weird plants and dinosaur bones. They had one exibit called a 'Daliasaur', where they had melted dinorsaur bones to create a Melting Clocks-esque dinosaur. I didn't have my camera, and was a bit angry.

Things are going well at work. My CCP lab students started their second week today. They're still coming, and are still excited about "school". One of them said today, "Doesn't it feel good when you get the answers right? I mean, I don't want to sound gay or nothin', but I like it when I learn something." They're working on Algebra right now, and doing quite well with it.

One of them, N, has a reading disability of some sort. I haven't yet had the opportunity to read his file to find out what it is, and he doesn't know what it is called. He's got a sharp brain, but if he gets caught on instructions because he doesn't know a word, he lets his temper get the better of him rather than just asking what the word is. His mentor, Marco, suggested to me that I preemptively tell him to ask for help- let him know what is expected of him. I tried that today, and it worked pretty well. J is very charismatic, hyperactive, and sharp. The hardest part of this class is going to be for him to sit still and actually get his work done.

Once they're started, you can't stop them. That goes for working, and acting up.

But they're so much fun. I am really enjoying working with them. Every day brings a fun new conversation or two. I'm not quite sure they're printable, though.

But I'm excited when I go into work, and I'm in a good mood when I head home. That is definitely the way to live.