Latest Enrichment Discussions
I don't know why, but I have failed to write about our last Art Day. Two Fridays ago we got together for our enrichment discussion and did some art together. There was no real theme but this is what we did. Everyone centered themselves. Then we took some time to have an inward conversation. This could be with oneself, with someone else, with God, with an idea, etc. After having this short inner dialogue, everyone was then supposed to identify the main feeling they were having, and after identifying it we all had to explore it. This all lasted about ten minutes, after which we got the paints out and threw those feelings onto paper.
We had a good mix of regular volunteers (Paul, Steve, myself), some sporadic volunteers (Mary-Grace and Liz), and then the guys who intern. It turned out really well. Everyone did something unique, something that expressed what they were feeling as they sat and thought. After spending about 45 minutes painting, in which everyone produced great, personal works, we shared our paintings with each other and in turn let other people analyze the paintings. What happened was quite incredible. We got to peak into each others' minds, but also (and more importantly) each others' hearts. We got to see (literally) what everyone else was feeling. And what was really cool was that when we analyzed each other we could see things that the people themselves could not see. We spent a good hour and a half talking to each other about our paintings and sharing our ideas and insights about them.
Once again I was blown away by what people had to share. It amazes me each time Steve or I or anyone else comes in with a program and the guys take ahold of it. I often think about the guys and how they have to put up a front in order to survive on the streets. And how we are breaking those walls down when we have events like Art Day. It takes a lot of courage to come in and do that. I cannot relate to this. It is expected of me to be able to share my thoughts and feelings with other people. But the guys are not expected to do this. They are not expected to know how and even if they do they are not expected to do it. That would be a sign of weakness. I am proud of what the guys have done.
This last Friday Jared and I put together a program that, more or less, had to do with our own interests. We are both philosophy majors and therefore thought it would be a good idea to share the parable of the cave with the guys, Plato's famous allegory about the education of the human soul and how that relates to the perfect state. Although we are not trying to build the perfect state, the parable of the cave has some great foundational philosophical themes on how we see the world and what it really means to understand what we see. In addition it is easy to draw parallels between the cave and homelessness, more specifically addiction and homelessness.
I mention these qualities of the parable of the cave because they allowed us to have a great conversation. I was a little apprehensive bringing in a subject as abstract as philosophy, but the guys we able to make some great connections. The parable of the cave is so universal and the experience of addiction is so epidemic that the two were fated to collide. After we finished our conversation, which never really ended, I had to cut it short, I asked the guys what they thought about the whole deal. Should I bring in stuff like this in the future? The answer was an astounding yes. I could not believe it. The guys loved the subject and in fact asked me if we could continue it next week, with an intertwined theme of maintaining sobriety. I think we can make it work.
All in all, I am so proud of what the guys have been doing lately. The center has been operating smoothly and attendance is growing for our meetings (even when we don't have food). It's all pretty great. Hopefully we will keep moving forward, something I am not too worried about.
We had a good mix of regular volunteers (Paul, Steve, myself), some sporadic volunteers (Mary-Grace and Liz), and then the guys who intern. It turned out really well. Everyone did something unique, something that expressed what they were feeling as they sat and thought. After spending about 45 minutes painting, in which everyone produced great, personal works, we shared our paintings with each other and in turn let other people analyze the paintings. What happened was quite incredible. We got to peak into each others' minds, but also (and more importantly) each others' hearts. We got to see (literally) what everyone else was feeling. And what was really cool was that when we analyzed each other we could see things that the people themselves could not see. We spent a good hour and a half talking to each other about our paintings and sharing our ideas and insights about them.
Once again I was blown away by what people had to share. It amazes me each time Steve or I or anyone else comes in with a program and the guys take ahold of it. I often think about the guys and how they have to put up a front in order to survive on the streets. And how we are breaking those walls down when we have events like Art Day. It takes a lot of courage to come in and do that. I cannot relate to this. It is expected of me to be able to share my thoughts and feelings with other people. But the guys are not expected to do this. They are not expected to know how and even if they do they are not expected to do it. That would be a sign of weakness. I am proud of what the guys have done.
This last Friday Jared and I put together a program that, more or less, had to do with our own interests. We are both philosophy majors and therefore thought it would be a good idea to share the parable of the cave with the guys, Plato's famous allegory about the education of the human soul and how that relates to the perfect state. Although we are not trying to build the perfect state, the parable of the cave has some great foundational philosophical themes on how we see the world and what it really means to understand what we see. In addition it is easy to draw parallels between the cave and homelessness, more specifically addiction and homelessness.
I mention these qualities of the parable of the cave because they allowed us to have a great conversation. I was a little apprehensive bringing in a subject as abstract as philosophy, but the guys we able to make some great connections. The parable of the cave is so universal and the experience of addiction is so epidemic that the two were fated to collide. After we finished our conversation, which never really ended, I had to cut it short, I asked the guys what they thought about the whole deal. Should I bring in stuff like this in the future? The answer was an astounding yes. I could not believe it. The guys loved the subject and in fact asked me if we could continue it next week, with an intertwined theme of maintaining sobriety. I think we can make it work.
All in all, I am so proud of what the guys have been doing lately. The center has been operating smoothly and attendance is growing for our meetings (even when we don't have food). It's all pretty great. Hopefully we will keep moving forward, something I am not too worried about.
posted by Ryan at 9:48 AM
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