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No, I'm not talking Candid Camera. Not in the least.
I'm talking about two different encounters I've had with "Smile!" this week. Let me explain...
...Last Wednesday night at a concert, as my friend and I were ducking out before the encore to avoid the rush, a large man with a grizzly beard (yes, Mark, a grizzly beard) stopped me in my haste. A little startled, not the least by the foul order of beer on his breath and now beer breath in my face, I looked up.
"Put a smile on that beautiful face of yours," he said.
I wanted to slap him! I don't know one person who, when they get told by a random stranger to smile then, smiles in fact because of it. Not one! I hate it. It's the first way to make an enemy...in my book, at least. Don't you agree?
Fast-forward two days 
later. I'm getting on I-94 and, like the bottom of many highway ramps in Chicago, is standing a homeless man. I glanced over at his cardboard sign, if only to oblige him. The note on the cardboard startled me. It wasn't an ask for money or for a prayer. It was an ask for a smile. Not only did I smile, I laughed out loud. He smiled back, then laughed back. Before I know it, while sitting at this red light, blocked only by my window I was laughing out loud with this random, homeless stranger. It felt so good. Just to laugh. That's all he wanted. Not food or money or prayer. Just...simply...to laugh, to smile. It was a truly reciprocal gift.
As some of you know...
Each of the staff members are asking their friends and family to pray for Sunshine. Over the past week we've had an inordinate amount of gunfire in our community - Chicago's south side community of Woodlawn. After literally dozens of close class, include a couple of our windows being shot out, yesterday evening a young man was shot and killed a block from us.
It appears this shooting and subsequent homicide are a part of a war among gang factions fighting for turf around our building (literally, we are in the CENTER of all the craziness!). This uptick in violence that could potentially last for some time.
This morning we prayed as a staff about the activity as well as discussed what we might do it intervene. Corporately we've agreed on several steps, which include hosting community meetings, beefing up our physical presence in the neighborhood, driving our program participants home at night, AND being frank with friends to pray. Specifically we pray for safety and for wisdom as to how and where to intervene.
Thank you all, in advance! :-)
I first learned of GOOD magazine back in (I think) March when its founder, Max Shorr, came to a Young Professionals of Chicago event to speak about his young entrepreneurial nack and inspire others in the room to do the same. GOOD is an "integrated media platform for people who want to live well and do good. We are a company and community for the people, businesses, and NGOs moving the world forward. GOOD's mission is to provide content, experiences, and utilities to serve this community. GOOD currently produces a website, videos, live events, and a print magazine. Launched in September 2006, the company has garnered praise for its unique editorial perspective and fresh visual aesthetic and is quickly positioning itself as a significant new voice in our culture." Like I said, it was the founder and his promotion of the magazine that I was first introduced to.
The popularity of the GOOD name has taken off in the last year. Stores like Whole Foods now tout the magazine's name and online social centers like Metromix are following the company and its events, of which was recently one in Chicago which, coincidentally (not!) I attended. Heck, the event cost was applied toward a "complimentary" subscription to the magazine and "free" open bar for the night. It was a win, win, win!
The company is continuing to expand its platforms to increase dialogue in public sphere about a variety of environmental, local & global issues. Today they released a new conversation platform called, GOOD.is. Click Here. The platform was built for the exchange of ideas. The main page now features 5 easy-to-navigate tabs for browsing.
While you're at it, check out pictures of Stephanie and I at the photobooth. Click Here. And, pictures on Flickr of the event. Click Here. You'll be sorry you missed it. That's okay. Hopefully, there will be more.)
later. I'm getting on I-94 and, like the bottom of many highway ramps in Chicago, is standing a homeless man. I glanced over at his cardboard sign, if only to oblige him. The note on the cardboard startled me. It wasn't an ask for money or for a prayer. It was an ask for a smile. Not only did I smile, I laughed out loud. He smiled back, then laughed back. Before I know it, while sitting at this red light, blocked only by my window I was laughing out loud with this random, homeless stranger. It felt so good. Just to laugh. That's all he wanted. Not food or money or prayer. Just...simply...to laugh, to smile. It was a truly reciprocal gift.
