{"id":18821,"date":"2020-12-01T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasee.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=essay&p=18821"},"modified":"2024-03-26T15:08:37","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T19:08:37","slug":"surprise-at-the-rescue-mission","status":"publish","type":"essay","link":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/essay\/surprise-at-the-rescue-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprise at the Rescue Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maybe it\u2019s time to lend a helping hand rather than just use that hand to sign a check to contribute a donation to a worthy cause.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As I arrived at the rescue mission, a tall man whose face reminded me of John Grisham\u2019s approached the car. He extended his hand as he introduced himself. I mirrored his gesture and identified myself. Exchanging pleasantries and small talk, he escorted me inside for a quick look-see of the rooms where the residents attend classes. Some men were working on earning their GEDs. A few entered the facility. With Southern ease and charm, he introduced me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we settled into a conference room, I met the chaplain and the director of education who were interested in what I do. I\u2019m an instructor for Olli, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, at Duke University where I teach a class on penning the personal essay in which my students are retired folks who want to record their life stories, memories, travels, careers\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked Matt, whom I presumed to be the head of the homeless shelter, what brought men here. \u201cAddiction, homelessness, different things\u2026\u201d he said. Matt flattered me by saying he heard about my teaching from a friend of his who was active in Olli\u2019s leadership, and she recommended he contact me because she thought I could help the residents \u201ctell their stories.\u201d Although an instructor doesn\u2019t receive a salary at Olli, we are given an honorarium. Since no mention of payment was made by this gentleman, I assumed I was being recruited as a volunteer. Sometimes, I have qualms about volunteering when it\u2019s not my idea \u2013 when instead I\u2019ve been volunteered by others. The night before, my husband said, \u201cYou don\u2019t need the money, and you might find it interesting.\u201d So, I went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt showed a video of what the rescue mission was trying to accomplish. The film was an effective tool designed to attract volunteers and donors. The meeting with the two gentlemen ended with our bowing our heads, and Matt leading us in prayer. After taking our leave of the chaplain and director of education, we strolled through more of the venue while chatting casually about grandchildren and approaching Christmas and holiday preparations. He showed me the masses of toys gathered for children to be distributed in the next couple of days. He pointed out the area where they\u2019d have a huge dinner for the rescue mission\u2019s residents and families. He was upbeat, enthusiastic, and courteous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I committed to teaching three classes in which I\u2019d steer the regular teachers in ways to structure a story to ensure it had a take-away message of hope. I said to this charming listener, \u201cIn my Olli classes I had retired physicians, lawyers, biochemists \u2013 many people more erudite and accomplished than I, but they didn\u2019t know how to create a non-fiction narrative that wasn\u2019t boring.\u201d Matt laughed good-naturedly. I continued, \u201cI had 12 to a class \u2013 a lot when you\u2019re editing students\u2019 papers. How many are in a class here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSixty,\u201d he said with a straight face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSixty!\u201d I exclaimed, wondering how I could possibly review their essays when many of these guys had not even gotten their GEDs. \u201cWhen young, I taught public high school. So, I guess it\u2019ll be like teaching in that sort of environment.\u201d I almost jokingly added that I sometimes felt like I was teaching the future felons of America, but for some reason, I held back from uttering my usual witticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you know my story?\u201d Matt asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour story?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m an inmate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn inmate, what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m on work release.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut you\u2019ll go home to your children and wife tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo\u201d he shook his head sadly, \u201cI go back to jail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I gazed at the articulate, poised, charming banker-type who stood so tall, lean, and well-groomed in front of me, who was perhaps five years younger than I, and I queried, \u201cWhat did you do to get yourself arrested?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI crossed boundaries. I was a financial advisor. I violated my clients\u2019 trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncertain of what to say next, I said, \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of temptation with that job, I imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was quiet for a moment and then said, \u201cI\u2019ve served nine of my ten-year sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was dumbfounded. He added, \u201cThat is why I send my emails through someone else. Did you notice they didn\u2019t come directly from me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI supposed your secretary was mailing them for you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not allowed to use email.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn prison, I read a book that helped me. I found it lying on my bunk one day. I believe a book angel put it there. It was Chicken Soup for the Prisoner\u2019s Soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I studied him a moment. He seemed sincere. \u201cI have an assignment for you. You write your story. It will have a powerful message. I\u2019ll help you. See you in January.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drove away thinking how often I judge a book by its cover. Here I mistook Matt as a salaried director in charge of the charitable organization, never suspecting that he most likely had a more scurrilous past than the homeless addicts residing there who often are in a desperate situation, without any privileges endowed on them, only inherited hardships difficult to escape from. Matt, like one of my all-time favorite North Carolinian writers, was an embezzler, a thief. Like O. Henry, he got caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt seemed sincerely repentant. On that ride home, I thought how in my long life, I\u2019ve never been knowingly in the presence of a prisoner before. I\u2019ve not mixed with addicts and folks down on their luck. I\u2019ve led a protected life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Christmas approaching, I feel perhaps it\u2019s time to practice goodwill toward all. Maybe it\u2019s time to lend a helping hand rather than just use that hand to sign a check to contribute a donation to a worthy cause. Maybe the residents of the rescue mission will learn something from me, and perhaps I\u2019ll discover inspiration from hearing their stories. Maybe, charitable work isn\u2019t a one-way street, at all.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maybe it\u2019s time to lend a helping hand rather than just use that hand to sign a check to contribute a donation to a worthy cause. As I arrived at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_gspb_post_css":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"essay_type":[46],"essay-category":[],"class_list":["post-18821","essay","type-essay","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","essay_type-features"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/essay\/18821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/essay"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/essay"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/essay\/18821\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"essay_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/essay_type?post=18821"},{"taxonomy":"essay-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasee.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/essay-category?post=18821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}