Previously On Charmed City...

Alright. Quick recap. A year ago life in Baltimore was moving right along (footloose and fancy-free), but it became apparent to me that something needed to change. I wasn't completely sure what, but I was near certain it was in the vocational arena. After going to India the year before and seeing the disparity between life for most there and life for most here, things were different. That's putting it mildly. I realized I needed to reassess the level of my participation in a housing industry that puts emphasis on small families in bigger houses when much of the world has large families crowding into small ones. So I opened my eyes, figuratively and literally, looking for the change I knew was coming. It seemed a long time waiting, but 7 months ago I got the opportunity to work with Habitat For Humanity in preparing for the Jimmy Carter Work Project. This year it was hosted by the Greater Los Angeles affiliate. Honestly, I never had much of a desire to go to L.A. but I figured it was a good chance to see if this was the kind of change I needed. The initial commitment was for 3 months but as I became immersed in the project, it became clear to me that if this wasn't the change I was waiting for, it was certainly a change for the better. There was talk of staying permanently, and talk became reality. So I moved across the country to be a construction supervisor for A Brush with Kindness, a rehabilitation program within Habitat GLA specializing in minor exterior repairs(mostly painting). That's the short and straight ahead version. The first picture was taken in late August on the Vermont Village site in South Central L.A. The second was taken at the same time and is me muggin' in front of the Watts Towers. A little old man built them all by himself on the nights and weekends he wasn't setting tile for a living. It took him some thirty years to complete and then he moved away. Sometimes the the human spirit is astonishing in its tenacity and perseverance.