Of Baseball and Board Meetings

Ayuda had a Board meeting tonight and we invited a crew of neighborhood leaders in a step toward forming a community advisory board. For about two hours, we ate together, traded hopes and dreams, shared concerns, encouraged each other, and expressed ideas for next steps. In a rare moment of self control, I didn't speak at all until the very end. I was pretty inspired by who was in the room and wanted to honor the impact that those we had invited have made in this community. If we could all raise our children like Pricilla, help others like George, educate ourselves like Gregory, serve the public like Manuel, operate a business like Jose, and organize neighbors like Jeff - this neighborhood would be a place where people would dream of living.

After the board meeting I came home to watch an excellent baseball game between the Red Sox and Rockies. Curt Schilling pulled out another heroic effort and further solidified himself as the god of October pitching. After 5 and 1/3 innings he turned the ball over to Okajima and the dancing Paplebon who were equally flawless. At the end of 9 innings, the Sox nudged the Rockies 2 runs to 1. In all the post game interviews, credit was spread evenly among Schilling, the bullpen, the offense and the defense. Everyone did their part and that's what made it such a thrill to watch.

These guys on the Red Sox are living a dream and as I sat there and enjoyed their victory, a mouse set off the motion detector at Ayuda and I had to go down and reset the alarm. On the three block drive to the office, I was reminded that I am living a dream myself. I get to sit in on meetings with amazing people trying to improve this neighborhood. I get to work with people who think differently than me and approach the same goals from different angles with their own unique gifts. Everyone plays their part. Sometimes my part is protecting Ayuda from criminal mice.

I have a sign in front of my computer at work that says "Whoever comes is the right people." I think a championship team is forming in Hunting Park. At tonight's meeting, someone suggested that the neighbors should get together and buy a trophy for Spirit and Truth in recognition of what they've done in the neighborhood. We're all thrilled to have another church in the neighborhood in Chosen Generation Worship Center. We've got all these great people making a difference on their blocks. Hunting Park Christian Academy is teaching our kids. Ayuda is doing all the stuff that we do. Our crop of elected officials is looking better all the time. We've got a bunch of kids who can't wait to do more work on the community garden. And we've got a lot of people from all over who support a lot of this work.

Take all these people out of Hunting Park and what would our neighborhood look like? We are building a championship team in Hunting Park and you're invited. Whoever comes is the right people.