...and by Lucas Johnson II, and all the other people out in the world who have been working to tell stories, touch lives, and grow spiritually, because that's what it's all about.
as for me these days? what do i have to complain about? the story on the Miracle on Clifton Ave a.k.a. the Amun Ra Theatre Playhouse is burning up the wire, and voices from all over are chiming in their congratulations. it was a heck of a journey--or should i say it was a heck of a
start to a journey; to make a difference in a part of town some people had given up on.
the other day, i was standing outside speaking with a colleague who was asking me why i didn't hang in the same circles i used to when i was in my 20s. you know the crowd: the well-meaning, deep-talking, pseudo-afrikanus intellectual types, who spend hours and hours in circles "kickin' the knowledge," impressing one another with their abilities to discuss concepts of history and spirituality.
yeah, i used to do that.
but, as i was explaining to my friend, there was a point where i decided i wanted to actually
do something; something other than just
talk. after all, we all spoke of the need for "institution-building." so i got tired of talking, hit the road, met some people, and together...
we built something.
and we must all continue to do so, wherever we are, to make the necessary changes that will equalize us all. will it be an uphill journey? sometimes. will the money be plentiful? not always--heck, even now, i'm staring several thousands of dollars of completion debt in the face. yet, i am encouraged, still, by the human spirit that assembled these bricks i frequent now to practice my craft in. people will step up and surprise themselves, as always.
just from the AP Article, i've had phone calls, emails, and yes, even a check. they all had equal value, but i wouldn't lie to myself. that check felt really good. not because it was "money," but because it represented one person's desire to share in the
sacrifice required to make a real difference.
that was the most humbling part of opening that envelope. if people around the nation paused and did that when they found projects they believed in, we would all be much better off.
i'm headed now back into the belly of the planning and implementation beast. some people are doing a local fund-raising event whose beneficiaries will be primarily non-profits who teach kids sports. we got slyly turned away as a potential beneficiary. we're non-profit, but we don't teach sports. we teach acting, speaking, writing, music, voice, dance, and critical-thinking to youth and teens.
so i guess we miss out on the normal expectation. we may not produce the next big 360-dunker, but perhaps, with all we do, and the support of people from all over, like the lady that wrote us that small check, we just might produce the next world leader.
like a
Barack Obama.
