Costa Rican Mother's Day

Monday august 15, 2011

I woke up late today, 7:45 a.m., and felt a little guilty. I called Mom for Costa Rican Mother’s Day and got to talk to her and Dennis, which always makes me happy. I went for a run, showered, made some fry bread and did the laundry.

Living alone I spend most of my housework time listening to pod casts. (Who knew that pod cast is two words and housework is one? Thank you, spell check.) I love pod casts. This morning I listened to two really powerful pod casts, one that had an unexpected impact on me.

The first one was about the rise of militias in the U.S., especially since the election of Obama. Reaction: I am so naive to the world.

http://www.thechangingworld.org/archives/2011/wk31.php

The second pod cast, http://www.thechangingworld.org/archives/2011/wk32.php was about The Sierra Program, a rehabilitation project in a prison in Australia to try to stop the Revolving Door Syndrome of recidivism. This pod cast was pretty remarkable, listening to you men talk about the choices they had made that led them to prison and their desire to change the patterns of their life and not return to prison. Pretty moving stuff. But then, as I was hanging my clean laundry on the porch, in the sun shine and gentle breeze, I heard something so powerful it brought tears to my eyes.

The reporter had been talking to skeptical prison staff, those who did not think that the Sierra Program would make much of a difference. She then talks to Sierra Program participants about their reaction to that skepticism. She talks to one man who is 24 years old, formally in the armed forces. When he left the army he fell into drug and crime and describes in general terms the violence of his actions and armed robberies. The reporter mentions the skepticism of others and asks this man why she should that he, a violent armed robber, can change just because of participation in this program. He responds, without hesitation and with full respect and calm, addressing her by name:

“Sharon, I was an armed robber, not am. That’s the most important thing, that change has occurred in my mind.”

This is where the tears came in. I cannot help but be emotionally involved in the world. And I realize that this is one of the most powerful ideas for me: we are all capable of making poor choices, but with support, patience, love, understanding, structure and discipline, we can change. I can’t quite find the words to express how amazing I find this young man and all of those young men – trying, trying, trying to make change for better in their lives. What takes more courage than that?