Hope: talk the talk

I haven't blogged in a while, since I need inspiration to write, but recently I was truly inspired.

The other night I had the rare opportunity to be the key note speaker for the Amos House in Providence, RI. For those of you not familiar, "the Amos House runs the ACE culinary arts training program, helping poor and unskilled individuals and those at risk of homelessness secure the skills they need to become more stable and self-reliant." I was asked to speak there because we had recently met with their employment specialist. We actually plan to start working with the Amos house here at RISD to develop asort of internship program. It was the first time I had to give any sort of inspirational speech, in a professional sense, and I felt a little out of my element. These people had done something spectacular to re-right their lives and now I was supposed to inspire them. It really felt the other way round. I haven't always gotten what I wanted from life, few of us ever do, but I consider my life to be exceptional and I feel pretty blessed. These people that I spoke to had come to a crossroads and were taking their destinies in their own hands, hoping to maybe turn their lives around and create a future for themselves and their families.

I was surprised by all the friends and family that showed up for these 13 individuals. Not because I didn't think people cared for them, on the contrary I found that people cared for them a great deal and that was part of the reason that they were in this program. It was just very intense; it was the emotional electricity of a sporting event at a graduation. I'm not sure if you can understand, since you weren't there, but these graduates had made their loved ones so proud that the sense of pride and of renewed hope was palpable. I hope that what I said inspired or at least remained with those I spoke to. I had a few guests and fellow speakers comment about the final story in my speech, which was not actually a personal anecdote but a Zen koan (a story sort of like a parable) I had learned many years ago. Nothing like a little mental/spiritual reality check. I don't know if they'll ever ask me to speak to their graduates again but if asked I would gladly accept. Inspiring others by your actions and words is nothing compared to the inspiration received from watching those who may not truly believe that they can do something, do that and more.