An unexpected thanks came my way yesterday and was a day brightener! I teach academics to juvenile inmates at our county jail. I was in the jail lobby waiting to be escorted. Normally I have to wait only a few minutes, but yesterday it was an hour! The longer I was waiting, the more frustrated I felt.
I watched a young gentleman enter the lobby and immediately recognized his face. Josh. I tutored Josh a few years ago when he was suspended from school. He was very vulgar, put on a tough act and constantly challenged anything I tried to teach him. In time, he mellowed out some and I actually enjoyed working with him. As a reward for getting assignments done, Josh and I would play “Five Crowns”. While we played the card game, Josh would share a little about his upbringing and the many different homes that he lived in. His suspension ended and I knew that he was headed to California for the summer.
Josh nodded at me and asked if I was the lady who taught him at the community center. I nodded “yes” in response. He wanted to know why I was sitting in the jail lobby. So I told him that I’m a teacher at the jail now. He then stepped over to the receptionist’s window and inquired about getting an I.D. picture taken. While Josh was talking, an older man entered the lobby and stood in line behind him.
An officer finally came out to escort me and I heard Josh holler, “Wait! Wait!” I turned and gave him a puzzled look. Josh then said, “I know I gave you a lot of grief when you taught me. I also know you were stubborn and didn’t give up on me. I have changed a lot and I’m really getting my life on track. Umm…thanks for teaching me.” The older gentleman smiled and put his arm around Josh and said, “Yes, thank you. I feel like I have my grandson back. He’s turning into a fine young man.”
I told Josh that I was proud of him and that I hope he continues to go after his dreams. As the officer escorted me to the classroom, he said, “It makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it?” And he’s right…seeing a life changed, certainly makes it all worthwhile and it even made having to wait an hour worth it.
So, have you told someone thank you lately? I know I have a few people I want to contact.
Listen to your heart…
Posts Tagged ‘reunite’
The Right Kind Of Friends
Saturday, November 21st, 2009While surfing the net, as I do a lot, I found this video by country and western singer Tracy Lawrence. In the song he is singing about how you know when someone is really your friend. True to good country and western style he is expressing his idea of true friendship in a practical and pragmatic way. Which of your friends would drive a hundred miles to pick you up if your car broke down?
Though most of us may not choose to decide on our friends based entirely on this basis the premise of what he is saying remains true. Some people claim to be your friends but when things get tough they are nowhere to be found.
My father used to say that there was nothing wrong with having a few of these fairweather friends, friendship is also about having a good time and some people are really only good for that but make sure you know which type of friends is which. Ask your self the same question about each one of your friends ” If I was in real trouble would I be happy if this person was the only one there with me”. It is funny but each time I asked myself the question about a friend I instantly knew the answer and I was rarely proven wrong.
It takes all kinds of friends to make your living a happy experience and they all serve a purpose but when you find one of these friends that you know you can count on to stick by you through thick or thin, you know you really have something special.
Sometimes life may get in the way of that friendship and people get misplaced but I like to think that if the friendship was a true one you are destined to re find that friend, especially if you are prepared to put in a little effort. So, if you have lost a mate that you know would have driven a hundred miles to pick you up when your car broke down then perhaps it is time you found them again. They are rare and you need them in your life.
You Find Out Who Your Friends Are – Tracy Lawrence
Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
Or get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare
This is where the rubber meets the road
This is where the cream is gonna rise
This is what you really didn’t know
This is where the truth don’t lie
{Chorus}
You find out who your friends are
Somebody’s gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas, get there fast
Never stop to think ‘what’s in it for me?’ or ‘it’s way too far’
They just show on up with their big old heart
You find out who your friends are
Everybody wants to slap your back
wants to shake your hand
when you’re up on top of that mountain
But let one of those rocks give way then you slide back down look up
and see who’s around then
This ain’t where the road comes to an end
This ain’t where the bandwagon stops
This is just one of those times when
A lot of folks jump off
{Chorus}
When the water’s high
When the weather’s not so fair
When the well runs dry
Who’s gonna be there?
{Chorus}
You find out who your friends are
(yeah, yeah)
You find out who your friends are
Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
(Well man, I’ve been there)
Or get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare
(Man, I’ve been there)
Man, I’ve been there
Oooh yeah.
Sound Advice from Australia For Finding Friends
Friday, November 13th, 2009
Popular Aussie Morning show: Segment on finding friends
This week a popular morning program shot in Sydney had a whole segment on finding old friends, how to do it, why we do it and the merits of doing it.
They talked about some of the ways we can catch up with old friends and we have looked at a lot of them in previous posts, Facebook and Twitter were mentioned and the ways they can be used. What I found most interesting though was the talk on the psychological reasons people feel a need to reconnect with people from their past.
For most of us the desire to find old friends is coming from quite a healthy place. We just want to catch up and see what our friend is up to. If a bigger relationship grows from this then it would be fine. For others though their drive is not quite so balanced. For example, the psychologist pointed out that there are those people who want to find someone just so they can prove a point. Usually how much better they have done in life than the other person. This often stems from a sense of inadequacy experienced around this person when they were younger and it can be very unhealthy. If you are looking for someone for that reason you may actually be better to let it go and if you are still determined to find them be careful it does not turn into an obsession.
The other thing the psychologist warned against was unreasonable expectations. It is important that you prepare yourself mentally for realistic outcomes. If the person you are searching for is someone you have previously had a relationship with you need to be prepared for the fact that they may now be with someone else and want nothing more than friendship from you. Even if the person was simply a friend it is a sad truth that people change and they may be very different from the person you lost contact with all those years ago.
It is true to say that actually neither of these things are inherently bad outcomes. Friendship is a very valuable thing and can easily play just as an important role in our lives as a relationship. And even though your friend may have changed there is nothing to say that the changes are not something you will quite like; after all I am sure you have changed too.
So long as you have healthy and realistic expectations of the things that could happen when you find the person you are searching for then I feel there is nothing to lose and everything to gain from continuing your search and that seemed to be the feelings of the psychologist too. So have a little bit of an examination of your motives and your expectation and then happy searching!
An Unusal Way To Find Royalty
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
The lengths some people will go to to contact an old friend.
An old friend of Camilla Parker Bowles, now wife of Prince Charles made sure that she reconnected with her old mate. The now Duchess of Cornwall was faced with this blast from her teenage past as she did a walkaround in Victoria, British Columbia on her present tour of Canadia.
The enterprising former friend of the Duchess held a sign that said ” Camillia, Lottie here. Remember Mon Fertile 1963-64.” The sign referred to a time in Camilla’s past when she attended a Swiss finishing school with the lady holding the sign, Ms Charlotte Ericson.
Ms Ericson remembers those school days well and recalls that
“We were just typical crazy teenage girls, into the Beatles, hair, make-up and clothes.We would stay up late talking about the boys we fancied and eating Swiss chocolate and giggling.There were a lot of girls there and she would spend most of her time with the British girls, but we got to know each other.”
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Camillia grew up in Sussex and was educated in an exclusive British school for the early years of her life before heading off to this particular Swiss finishing school and then another one in France. The finishing school placed a lot of emphasise on learning sewing, typing and etiquette according to Ms Ericson who is quite sure that these skills have held Camilla in good stead for her present role as the Duchess.
Ms Ericson was thrilled to catch up with her old friends and stated that she would be getting on the phone to other former school friends of Camilla’s to tell them she has spoken to her.
Camilla held up her walkabout to stand and chat with her old friend, proving that no matter how famous you may be we are all partial to a bit of nostalgia from time to time.
This was an extraordinary length for Ms Lottie Ericson to go to to find an old friend but she certainly seemed to think it was worth it. Most of us will not have to do anything nearly as public to make contact with whoever we are searching for. Which is probably just as well as I know I, for one would not have the stomach for doing something like that.
But just because our lost friends are less famous does not mean our searches are any less important. I am loving reading all the comments that people are leaving and am so keen to hear more about how all your searches are progressing.
Wrong Number?
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
“If this week gets any worse…” Janella thought to herself, as she tossed her keys onto the kitchen table. Earlier in the week she had her beloved pet Sparky put to sleep. This morning her boss informed her that she will be working on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Janella was home just long enough to change her clothes, grab a quick supper, and then onto a meeting. As she sat down to eat her microwave dinner, the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Um, hello,” answered the person on the other end. “Is this Traci?”
“Nope! Guess ya have the wrong number,” replied Janella.
“Oh, hey, I’m really sorry. Uh, have a good day.”
“A good day? A GOOD DAY? Don’t even get me started about my day and especially not about my week!…I’m sorry, I don’t even know you and I’m venting.”
“That’s ok. Glad I could be here for you. My name is Mark by the way.”
“I’m Janella and thanks Mark.”
As she hung up the phone, Janella thought it was a little pathetic that a wrong number was actually the highlight of her day.
A couple nights later, Janella was watching “All Dogs Go To Heaven”, sobbing as the movie made her think about Sparky. Rrrrrrrrrring. Rrrrrrrrring. “Hello?”
“Oh my word, I can’t believe I did it again. Um, it’s Mark.”
“Mark?”
“Yeah, you know, wrong number Mark.”
“Oh yeah.”
“So you sound a little down tonight. You okay?”
Janella told Mark about losing Sparky and how the movie made her miss her dog even more. An hour later they were both still talking on the phone, laughing and sharing tidbits about their lives.
Rushing to work a few weeks later, Janella stopped by Starbucks for coffee. As the person ahead of her ordered his latte, Janella recognized the voice. “Mark? Wrong number Mark?” she asked. Mark turned around. “Janella? So there really is a face to go with the voice!” They chatted awhile and Janella rushed off to her job.
It’s been five months and Janella still thinks about Mark. In fact, last month she got up the nerve to dial his phone number, only to discover it was no longer in service. She is now searching for Mark through our “I Still Remember You” website. How about you? Is there someone you can’t stop thinking about? Let us help you reunite with that special someone.
Listen to your heart…
