Facing adversity with dignity and honesty.

This week really seemed to fly by. It could have been that it was only four-days, or maybe I’m settling into the daily routine around here. For those that haven’t been into St. Vincent de Paul, it’s a bit of a maze, so simply not getting lost every five minutes this week has had a calming effect on me.

The men’s center shut down on Thursday and will remain closed until Wednesday while a few of our maintenance men renovate the floors--because you know, men without roofs over their heads are real sticklers about a decent floor.

Probably the highlight of my week was putting in Mighty Ducks II for the afternoon movie. I thought it might be inspirational and provide some light-hearted fun. I was wrong. There were a few laughs here and there, but for the most part it didn’t seem to satisfy their daily appetite for action and violence. I left the men’s center to take a phone call and when I returned fifteen minutes later they’d already put in another movie, but I think it was a good learning experience for everyone involved—I figure that they test my boundaries on a daily basis, I should at least make them uncomfortable every now and then. For all of you reading in West Oakland, spread the word, SVdP men’s center will be showing The Notebook next Friday!

Looking back at some of the blog posts of former JV’s here, I’ve realized that there can only be so many epiphanies about social justice, poverty, addiction and homelessness. With that said, each day at work there’s been a moment where I’ve been struck by the openness and willingness of clients and volunteers to talk about the struggles and adverse situations they are facing. They speak with dignity and honesty, and it’s refreshing, other times jarring, but most of all it’s something to be emulated. It’s not a joke when one of our volunteers takes home a heaping pile of food from the dining hall and openly admits that they don’t have any other food in their refrigerator, but it’s also not something to be ashamed of or hide. It just is—and that’s all life can ever be.