Met with volunteer coordinators at the mission: Charity and Chairman. They are both advocates of hope and change. Chairman seemed pensive, wide eyed at every corner to develop organizational management. Charity seemed transparent, a bird in the hand, has a degree in communications. During lunch, we talked about poetry and publishing, grimy journalism. There was boneless chicken breasts sautéed with steamed vegetables, rice, fruit salad, and cheesecake. If ever the Word is tangible, than there was an example: give the poor nothing less than the best to fill their stomachs while feeding their souls. As we ate, the head pastor took the stage and shook the building with quotes from Corinthians, “Are you of God or are you of Flesh?” He repeatedly questioned every man within earshot. Men were turning in their seats, looking around; feeling themselves, looking around. Some were asleep in their chairs slouched like puppets.
I told Charity and Chairman I’d like to volunteer in the computer lab, teach professional writing, and lead a Bible study. There wasn’t a need for me in either so I digressed. Chairman suggested I mentor. Mentoring is like sport fishing, you have to know how to catch and release, if not the fish can die in your hands. Who’d want that on their conscious? I told him I’d give it some thought, pray about it. He gave me three days, a packet of mentor do’s and don’ts. When the pastor introduced the visitors and future volunteers from the pulpit, my name bounced from his mouth like tennis balls, “Myron Michael…” I didn’t hear Hardy, could be my ears were stuffed with the song the choir sang before lunch. Something about God being wonderful and almighty, and I, too, was feeling myself to know what I’m made of.
The pastor said, “He’s a poet.” A multitude of eyes saw me as a fisher of men or a fish. I couldn’t tell. However, that I wouldn’t duck their stares made sense. One guy grinned, a shifty grin that seemed to size me up. He reminded me of a young man from the group home where I worked as a counselor: the one that would test your patient no matter who you were, the one that would give you a hug while stealing your house keys. And whenever caught and grounded would act like it was apart of his plan to stay indoors because it was too cold out.
