restoring faith in humanity.

i am reminded as i pass by the park by my house each day at 6pm, that there are still many homeless people in my neighborhood. i am also reminded that each day, a group of people has committed to making them dinner and another group of individuals has committed to serving. serving meals and serving their community. i'm proud to be a member of such an organization.

each day i drive home in six lanes of bumper to bumper traffic filled with road rage and capitalist yuppies. and each day i drive by the park and my faith in humanity is instantly restored. i am so blessed to be friends with such good people. good people who want to work with victims of domestic violence. good people who are trying desperately looking for a job in forensics to crack cases of child crimes. good people who educate our youth and good people who educate our community on the environment. good people who donate all of their spare change knowing that their own economic assets just tanked. often makes me think maybe there's something more that i can be doing...

yesterday was elle's birthday. she just started a new job and one of her clients, age 84, gave her an amazing little birthday gift after only knowing her for only a few sessions. i think elle, who had a jam-packed busy day at work, was pleasantly caught off guard at the nicety of a near stranger.

i travel nearly 90% of the time for work. i was on a plane a while ago and was watching the woman caddy-cornered in the row in front of me crochet a bright orange scarf (my favorite color) for the entirety of the flight. i didn't think she noticed me, but at the end of the flight she asked me if i she could give it to me. whenever i wear the scarf i think of her and smile.

every month, 60+ volunteers escape from the pains and frustrations of their own lives and come out to comfort zone camp to devote an entire weekend to a kid they've never met with some great void in their short life. and whether they know it or not, they make a lifetime impact on a child in just a quick few days of turbo-bonding.

a friend of mine devoted the year after she graduated to leading relief teams in new orleans to help victims of hurricane katrina. then she signed on for another year. then she signed on to work in the battleground of new orleans public elementary schools. she may be crazy.

in the words of john mayer, "i know the heart of life is good. i know it's good."

and on that note, i may go buy a coffee for that potentially homeless streetsense vendor in eastern market. he's been on my mind all day. and he let me have streetsense for $0.78 instead of $1 yesterday. and i'll do it not because i believe karma will reward me in the end, but because i want to.