thursday 8/5

Today was a very full day. Yesterday afternoon I spoke with Erin at Mobile Bay Keepers and our objectives shifted for 1/2 our trip. Here is how it shifted.

Over the last few days, I found myself feeling extremely irritated at the lack of response to my calls and emails to agencies in the Gulf area. (Not Mobile Bay Keepers and mainly my irritation with the others stems from the fact that Volunteers must go through BP America, yes British Petroleum before they can help) I have yet to receive a call from BP 8/5/2010.

I wanted the agencies to call me so I could schedule "My" agenda, "our" activities and so I could prepare for what " I " felt I should be doing. I can slip into a narrow focus and step into a big pile of " Me" if I'm not careful. And that's exactly what happened. The former producer/"get it done" in me sometimes bull doses through a situation.

The harder I pushed to get it done, the less was accomplished. The more frustrated I became. I was writing the sermon for the Wednesday service and it was on of all things, "Will" " self will". I was in self will run riot. I became aware that emotionally our journey to the Gulf of Mexico had become, in a matter of hours, more about the journey meeting my expectation instead of the journey itself. So, I released, from my white knuckled grip, any future experience before I had squeezed every drop of good intention from it. It felt like I had turned in the correct direction once again. Within about five minutes, I glanced down at a sheet of paper covered in notes, messages and numbers from a weeks worth of mapping. I noticed in the upper right hand corner a Texas number and " Boat People, SOS". Oh, that’s right, Erin had given me that contact information a couple of days earlier. So I called them. Grace, the Executive director, answered and I explained who I was and my intent. In my head I'm thinking " what am I doing calling them when our goal is to rescue wildlife. Do you rescue turtles?" yet Grace and I continued to connect.

" ...And the fisherman's children are not able to get school supplies because their parents have been without an income for almost 3 months." " I wonder if people outside of here forget that a way of life has stopped. And so has their ability to buy food, pay their bills and provide basic needs for their kids." With a gentle exhale, I began moving forward again. " What do you need?" I said to Grace, " School starts Monday 8/9/2010 and I bet most of our kids don't have what they need to begin school."

" We'll help and my daughter and I will be there on Monday." I know my friends, family and people in the community. They are true step up to the plate people. So I called Corey, the Director at the Paul Henson YMCA and told him, briefly, about what we needed to take with us to Mobile. Corey replied, " How can I help". Within a couple of minutes there was a " Help our neighbors" box in the lobby of the YMCA. Within two hours, Michael and Khara Cosentino had made a generous offer from Price Chopper Markets and within 4 hours (with donations made from some friends and family) we had enough money for 32 cases of composition books (48 per case), 500 pencils/pens, 10 cases of glue sticks, a few cases of loose leaf paper and over 1000 folders.

Heidi Alrey always says that life happens through us not to us. Yes.

Tomorrow Elizabeth and I will pick up the supplies. I have a station wagon and a cargo carrier for the top. I'm seeing the car filled to the sunroof with supplies. It was a Great day for me to get out of the way. Daniel