Blue Monday: The Soundtrack of Our Lives

One of the unexpected developments during my two tours in Charleston was a new found love of live music – especially the Blues.   From 2003-2005 I lived in a city with nightlife for the first time in my life.  This was also my first real exposure to live music at every turn.  Charleston is a great city for performers and artists.  Great music is tucked into the nooks and crannies that pepper King, Queen, Market, and High Street.   Cover bands, jazz, rock, reggae, country, and the Blues provided an eclectic soundtrack for my two years in Chuck-town. 

My favorite club, however, was Mama’s Blues Palace on John Street.  The house band Mama & the Misfits was the lovechild of a pair of retired schoolteachers.  Mama and Papa Dupree, their son Jo-Jo, and a group of some of the most talented artists I’ve ever heard blew the roof off that club every weekend.  My friends and I made it a point to check out the show at Mama’s as often as we could. 

It was in that dingy little blues bar on John Street, where we met Del Rae, a jazz singer, piano player, and composer.   Del, who famously hated Stevie Wonder for beating her out for ‘song of the year’ at some point in the late 70’s, was standing the warm up act.  Well into her 80’s by the time we met her, she warmed up the house for an hour every Thursday thru Saturday. 

After her set she’d visit with us early birds and let us buy her a drink.  She was a great old lady.  She was one classy lady (unless you got her talking about Stevie Wonder).  Over the course of our visits, Del taught us that music had to come from the soul, and as long as you had music you could live a long and happy life. 

Mama’s Blues Palace closed in 2004, while I was home for a visit so I missed the last show.  The Misfits broke up, and Mama only rarely played during the last year of my assignment in Charleston.  I am happy to report though, that Mama, Papa Dupree and Jojo are back performing in the clubs of South Carolina under the new name of Mama & The Redemption Band. 

There is an impermanence of life that forces us or allows us to change, adapt and evolve – that’s true in the Blues as well.  No one sings about being blue, always being blue, and staying blue forever.  The Blues are about transitions.  Times were good, now they’re not.  Times are bad, but tomorrow will be better.  I’m suffering, but I have my guitar so it could be worse.   That’s why we come back to the blues, because we are always in transition.   Riding the wild rollercoaster of life, and jamming the entire way.  

Mama and The Redemption Band (formerly Mama & The Misfits)




***NOTE:  I have not had much luck finding any of Del Rae's music (at least not the Del we met).  If anyone is able to point me in the right direction to songs either written or recorded by Del, I would be most grateful.  We have her picture and an autograph -- but I'd like to hear her sing again.  Thanks, NTS.

Carolina On My Mind

This is not a post about James Taylor.  This is a post about Thursday.  In the AmeriCorps*NCCC world it’s Team Leader Thursday.  Normally I wouldn’t devote an entire blog post something I got from a Facebook post, but today it stuck with me.  

I had a great Team Leader (TL).  Jen Karmels built our team around the values of patience, flexibility, and a healthy sense of humor.  But it was her presence that helped us become a highly functional and cohesive unit.  When we suffered, she suffered.  When we need a friend, a mentor, a ride to the doctor or a swift kick to get us back on track, Jen was right there.  Even these many years later and miles apart Jen remains a presence in our lives. 

Author, poet and Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh says that, “the most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.”  In this world of overburdened attention spans, jam packed schedules, and an addictive tendency to try and do everything – we loose sight of this profound truth. 

Earlier this morning I learned that my teammate Rosa’s sister passed away last weekend.  I cannot imagine the sense of loss that their family must be going through.  But I know Rosa, and her parents.  I know that in the days and weeks to come they will be reflecting on the good times they had with Ana.  In this context presence takes on an entirely new meaning and perhaps urgency. 

Presence is one of my 3 words for 2013, but being present is a practice that can be beneficial to all.  So on this Thursday, let us take a moment to be present to one another.  Hug your kids, spend time with your family, call a friend who you’ve been meaning to talk to for a while, take a risk and offer a kind word to a stranger.   But do something to reach out.  In the end, it’s those moments in which we are present for one another that stay with us.  

"Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present" Master Oogway

http://youtu.be/Znnj1oFxCR

My thoughts and prayers go out to Rosa, Ana and the entire Strandemo family.

2012 in Review: The Fate of Hope

Last New Year's Eve, I wrote a post called 2012: A Year of Hope, and as the year comes to an end it’s time to take stock of where we are.

Hope is a funny thing.  It seems to shine the brightest when we can see and feel nothing but darkness.  

This year, December 14th became a day that will stand out for many.  From some it will forever be the anniversary of great tragedy and loss.  The tremendous amount of pain and senseless suffering associated with the Sandy Brook Elementary school shooting will remain a scar on our national psyche for many years to come.  In the wake of this massacre it might be easy to believe that darkness has won. 

But just hours after the tragic events of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, two friends welcomed theirdaughter into the world.  Two people who are kind and generous and loving experienced, in an instant, their family, their love, their joy expand beyond comprehension. 

And so, hope enters the world.

If we widen the scope, 2012 has not been an easy year by any account.  There is plenty to be upset about.  Our hurts seem to have multiplied.  We are weary from extreme acts of senseless violence and a nasty campaign season.  We are bitter from loss at the hands of hurricane Sandy and our in ability to recover fast enough.  We are heartbroken, as good people who want to work remain unemployed or under-employed.   We are plugged in, but seem to be farther from the people in our lives.  We are surrounded by information and entertainment, and often feel isolated, alone, and bored.

And yet, we are still here. 

AmeriCorps members, National Guard, and many others are still serving in the aftermath of Sandy. Teachers, parents, administrators, and local law enforcement across the country are working like never before to keep our kids safe.  Children are being born, and growing up, and being loved by their families.  People everywhere are starting to talk about being tired of the anger and violence that seems to be everywhere.  Many of us are lucky to have family and friends close at hand, which is a bigger blessing than we regularly acknowledge.  

Despite the frustration and pain, the disappointment and loss – the great experiment continues.  

Like the phoenix hope often seems to rise out of the ashes of disappointment, sorrow and suffering.  St. Augustine believed this when he penned the lines: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are Anger and Courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”

This year may not have turned out like any of us expected, but if we embrace anger towards that which is wrong in the world and the courage to become an agent of change, then we will get things done in 2013.  

Thus, hope lives on. 

Continuing to Learn About Service

Last week I ran across a quote from entertainer, Andy Griffith, that has stuck with me ever since first reading it.  In his characteristically straightforward style Griffith summed up a delightfully compact worldview, in a few short words: "Well, do a good day's work and act like somebody."

That's a pretty simple and yet fundamentally difficult charge, but one that many of us (AmeriCorps Alums, Pumas, and in general people of good will) can easily embrace.  Hard work, service, integrity -- it's all there.

My wife Katie, a fellow AmeriCorps Alum, honorary Puma, wild land firefighter, and all around superhero articulates the benefits of a service mentality in a blog post which first appeared on the AmeriCorps Alums Blog this morning.  Like so many Katie talks about service as journey, not a destination.  Whether formal service or local volunteerism, whether serving family, friends, strangers, pets, or the environment, service matters.

Katie sums the common thread of journey up like this, "no matter where you started out when you joined AmeriCorps, you end up in a similar mindset after serving.  Service becomes a part of your life."

Check out Katie's post and join the conversation (whether your an Alum or not)...How do you serve?

Click here to open original post

Impact of Service

For nearly two decades civilian national service programs have ridden the ebb and flow of unsteady political sea, which governs both Washington D.C. and the federal budget.  The debate over the value of AmeriCorps and its sister programs have been argued by party leaders on both sides of the aisle since founding of AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). 

Questions of the necessity of civilian service programs come from many in Washington, many of which who have never served along side an AmeriCorps Member (CM) to see the impact of their service.  Where the program’s value has rarely been questioned is in the field. 

•      In the classrooms where AmeriCorps Members provide much needed 1 to 1 literacy coaching for students who have fallen behind their classmates  - the value is real. 

•      In homeless shelters where teams arrive to provide much needed facility improvements, working alongside shelter guests to provide a safe and secure place for those in need – the value is real.  

•      In state and national parks where trails are blazed, controlled burns are conducted, and camp areas made safe – the value is real. 

•      When disasters strike and trained, dedicated, committed NCCC teams are deployed within hours to help victims respond to, recover from, and rebuild after disasters – the value is real. 

AmeriCorps programs throughout the country bring young people together in a way that is fundamentally American.  Not driven by greed, advancement, or personal benefit, but through a common bond of service do these Corps Members stand up every day and say, “Yes, I’ll help.” 

They are not volunteers. 

They do not serve at their convenience, on the weekends or in their spare time.  They do not accept projects which are fun, convenient, or within their comfort zone.

They are AmeriCorps Members.

As AmeriCorps Members, they dedicate their lives to the cause of serving communities in need.  They serve where needed, often accepting the most challenging and least glamorous assignments – because they need to be done.   They serve long hours for terms of service ranging from several months to multiple years in some cases.   

Post Script:  This post was inspired after a text from my wife (an AmeriCorps*Indiana Alum) who ran into around 20 AmeriCorps Alums at a presentation, and reading fellow AmeriCorps*NCCC Alum Ken Tran’s blog post about disaster relief in Joplin, MO, listed here.

http://americorpsalums.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/nccc-alum-remembers-how-americorps-works-in-joplin/#comment-2194

Dangerous Assumptions: Part 2

Wednesday, I posted about a conversation I had with a gentleman who assumed that young people (40 and under) do not serve. This didn't sit well with me, and still doesn't. The crux of his argument hinged on lack of membership in “traditional” service organizations such as Lions, Rotary, etc. I have been a part of several traditional

organizations for quite some time. In most I am the youngest member, in one my father was the next youngest member. Prior to my relocation I had several speaking engagements on the very topic of engaging young people in community groups (Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, etc.) So this topic is obviously near and dear to me.

In a nutshell it’s about adaptability. It’s about change.

As a member of the “young people” demographic as well as Rotary, and other groups viewed as “traditional” community service organizations – I’m hear to tell you that if the groups don’t adapt they will not survive beyond this current generation. Younger generations (as defined above) don’t operate the same way as older more geographically centered generations.

Observations:

1. Time limitations – The structure, nature, and culture of the contemporary work environment has shifted to a 24/7 global focus resulting in business that doesn’t sleep. On a personal level this shift has allowed for floating holidays, non-traditional scheduling of days off, and flexible shifts, to rise. This means that the Society for the Preservation of Judy Garland Movies which meets on Tuesday nights at 7:30, must content with a membership who can make some meetings, but not others as shifts change, meetings are rescheduled, and travel is required. This has always been the case, with some membership, but now it is closer to the norm for younger would be members.

2. Travel/Mobility – The younger demographic identified above is more mobile as a group than any of their predecessors throughout history. Young professionals often relocate for work, establish strong relationships with people across the nation and world while at College, and spend considerable time travelling to visit those friends and family. This means that in order to volunteer they must schedule in events and service opportunities.

3. Monetary contributions – Most traditional service clubs, sororities and fraternal organizations operate on a dues system. While it is true that generations of college students have had loans. Today’s college graduates incur unparalleled amounts of student loan debt which is so out of proportion with income generated that many young professionals find it difficult to establish themselves. Adding an additional monthly/annual dues as well as the cost of meals before, after, or during meetings each month are superfluous expenses for many young people.

4. Dated Models: Many established organizations adhere to dated models of operation and engagement. The common sentiment from younger generations is: “That’s for my grandparents”

Examples of this are both broad and specific:

Fundraisers – Bingo, fish frys, trinket sales, etc. do not draw younger members. In most communities the numbers of people under the age of 40 who willingly want (or are able ) to eat deep fried fish, with deep fried fries, garnished with an iceburg lettace salad are dwindling. Bingo halls don't hold the same flash when competing with casinos and Vegas. We are a more health conscious nation with different financial priorities, and yet groups like American Legion, VFW, Knights of Columbus, Moose Lodge, and countless churches continually hang their proverbial fundraising hats on these vehicle.

Gender Separation – Separation of the genders in service organizations is not as popular today as it once was. The days of men’s and women’s clubs are dwindling. Most of the younger generations have grown up in a world of co-ed everything in schools (including co-ed residence halls on most college and university campuses) young people are not so interested in having the genders separated. While groups like Rotary and Kiwanis are working to invite more women into their ranks, the reality remains that a stigma of separation exists. Young people want to serve as families, as couples, even as dates. Sounds crazy, but its true. The days when men built houses with Christmas in April and women baked cookies for the family are over. Everyone is on the job site working side by side.

Misconceptions – Misconceptions run rampant about any organization. Clubs need to reach out to potential members and help them understand that the groups do more than wear funny hats, call each other by odd titles, and do more than rub elbows.

All of the groups I’ve identified here do good work. My point is that a group can be true to its mission, while adapting to the needs of the community as well as prospective members. Because despite all of the obstacles I've identified above, young people still find ways to s

erve.

Right now there are 700,000 young Americans who are AmeriCorps Alums. Add to that number all of the PeaceCorps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and other service program alumni. Add to that number those who are independently volunteering at non-profits every day.

The interest is there.

The mentality is there.

The desire is there.

The service is there.

Young people aren’t waiting around for clubs to get their acts together. Young people are driven to act. If the traditional service groups don’t want to become the historic service groups (meaning just a blip in a text book), they need to adapt. It doesn’t have to be fundamental in most cases, but show some ability to change and grow. Adapt to your audience. Do that and younger members will come. They will serve…because they are already doing it.

Don't believe me, check out these performance and impact reports:

Full Report Listing

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/role_impact/performance_research.asp

National Service Report (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/volunteer_study_09.pdf

Find ways to serve in your community and beyond:

www.serve.gov

www.volunteer.gov

www.americorps.gov

www.peacecorps.org

www.cncs.gov

www.tnc.org

Dangerous Assumptions: Part 1

Yesterday, I got into it with a well meaning, all be it miss informed, septuagenarian who made the mistake of saying, “These young people (40 and under) just don’t do service.” This statement was met with a collective intake of breath from those in the room. I began by listening, and asking a few questions. His evidence for the opinion, when pressed, was that young people aren’t involved in service clubs like the Lions, Rotary, etc.

I politely disagreed, which earned me a scowl and rebuttal of, “What do they do?”

I proceeded to list the ways the current AmeriCorps and Peace Corps members serve both during their terms of service as well as beyond. This is not to mention those who serve neighborhood, environmental, and church groups. I mentioned the Corporation for National and Community Service study which offers statistical support that young Americans are one of the most engaged and service oriented generations in recent historical memory.

Members of this generation are driven by a desire to see the world a better place, a desire that many work hard to make a reality in formal and informal ways. The number of non-profits rise each year, staffed largely by young energetic visionary people. Whether volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, your local library, alma matre, church, Nature Conservancy Chapter, or any of the thousands of active and important non-profits in their area – young people are involved.

Stay tuned for Dangerous Assumptions: Part 2

AmeriCorps*NCCC: A Higher Education

Written and Delivered by Nicholas T. Schafer
NCCC North Central Region Graduation Vinton, IA
August 4, 2010


Thank you for inviting me to join you for this mornings exercises. And I’m very grateful that they didn’t include 5:30 a.m. PT.

The two years I spent in NCCC are never far from my mind. Team pictures hang on the wall in my home and office. I talk to my old teammates regularly, and occasionally send the random text to my TL asking her to take me to the doctor just for old times sake. [Pause]

My original plan was to tell you some of the great stories that came out of my service years. I wanted to tell inspiring stories about working with children who were labeled “special needs” only to find out that they had a better outlook on life that we could imagine. I would tell you about Habitat dedications where grown men wept as we handed their family the keys to their first new home. But then it dawned on me that you might not know my team or the communities that we served, but you do know my stories. Because they are our stories. And for me, that is the most inspiring thing of all.Even though we have served several years and many miles apart…by virtue of serving in this program we all know the excitement of leaving for a new spike, and the relief of returning to base for transition. We’ve successfully experienced shopping on a budget (thank you Dot White), and feeding a small army after a long day on a Habitat build. We’ve experienced the Forming-Norming-Storming-Performing-Storming-Performing-Storming cycle with our constantly evolving teams. We’ve been strengthened by the communities we served and met each other on common ground.

Our stories are unique, but we are bound together by the fabric of our shared experiences.

A few years ago I met Amity Tripp (National Director of AmeriCorps Alums) at a conference. I was there in the capacity of Program Director for an AmeriCorps*Indiana Environmental program – and we started talking about recruitment. Now I have to tell you, I get a little fired up when I start talking about AmeriCorps – and this meeting was no exception. After I had rattled on for a few minutes Amity politely interrupted and said, “May I ask, were you in NCCC?” “Yeah,” I answered, hoping that she too was an NCCC alum. “I though so,” she said. “What makes you think that,” I asked. “Well,” she said, “You all are a little crazy.”

Few times in my life have I been more proud.

The passion that NCCC inspires is not necessarily exclusive to our program, but as a group we tend to take it to the next level. I believe this so much that I’ve written a number of letter over the years to various state and federal Senators and Representatives. In 2007, I wrote, that

“NCCC teams are trained and ready to deploy quickly when disaster strikes. The tragedy of the Oklahoma City Bombing, 9/11 , Hurricane Katrina, and numerous smaller natural and un-natural disasters have seen the benefit of NCCC recovery efforts and have proven the readiness and value of NCCC Members. NCCC fills a unique niche for which other service programs (AmeriCorps or otherwise) simply cannot pick up the slack. NCCC represents the very best of AmeriCorps.”

I believe that it is this passion that fuels our commitment to service while actively engaged in NCCC. And it is that passion that drives us to serve in the years that follow.

NCCC is not an easy program. I will not make the mistake of assuming that everyone had the uplifting experience that I did. While I hope many of you did, and will miss your teams and the service you performed. I know that after 10 months of no privacy, 1 van, and 10 personalities, some of you might be ready to be away from your team. Others might be excited to never have to wear kahki and grey again. And still others might be looking forward to driving a vehicle where you don’t need a spotter to change lanes. (or back up without a ground guide).

I can say with reasonable certainty, however, that no matter how you feel right now your time in NCCC has been formative. Whether in lessons learned, friendships formed, or injustices realized…there is no going back. If it hasn’t already, your experiences from this year will change how you look at the world.

I often tell people that NCCC ruined me for business. Before NCCC my life had a plan. Finish my undergraduate degree, go to law school, marry a beautiful woman, take the legal world by storm, make a ton of money, attain enlightenment, write a best seller about attaining said enlightenment, and retire happily at 45. So that might be a bit of a stretch, but not by far.

After NCCC, my life and career had to mean something more than just making money. I’ve been in the public sector ever since I left Charleston, and I can’t think of any place I’d rather be. I may not have a pile of money, but I get by. A few years ago I met and last year married a beautiful girl – who also happens to be an AmeriCorps Alum. I’m lucky. Every day I work to make sure young people can afford to go to College, and I continue to fight substandard housing as the advisor of the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. I came to NCCC with a plan, and left with a purpose. I’ve found my way to continue to serve. That was my choice.

And so you now have a choice. This year can be just another page in the scrapbook, or it can be the year where you found yourself…and became involved for life.

You have experience, energy, and passion take that with you. Run with it. Whatever you do next, bring your NCCC confidence, compassion, and commitment. Live out the pledge each and every day. Fight apathy, build communities, and seek common ground. As the poet says, “be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains.”

Because the reality is that, NCCC has only partially been about the past 10 months. NCCC is really about today. It’s about, “carrying this commitment with you this year and beyond.” No matter what your current education level—THIS has been your higher education. You’ve faced both success and disappointment as you’ve engaged in the challenging work of serving communities. You’ve learned from many teachers this year. Some are with me on stage, some in the staff section, some wearing green shirts right in your row, and many in the communities you leave behind. You’ve completed projects, and composed reflections. Now the rest of your life is the final exam.

In just a little while you all will join me and so many others in the ranks of the NCCC alumni. There have been some who’ve been in your shoes who mistakenly call life after AmeriCorps the “real world.” I am here to assure you that the world you’ve come to know over the past 10 months is in fact, a more real version of the world than many will ever see. And no matter what you do next, or how far you travel, your NCCC filter will go with you, allowing you to see the real world.

I know that it is unrealistic to think that everyone here will continue to work for non-profits. In fact many of you might have joined originally to beef up your resume. I can vouche that NCCC will look great on a resume, especially in a job market driven by blending education with experience. Team work, organization, discipline, these are qualities that will serve you well in college, graduate school, and both the public and private sector of the workforce. You’re time with AmeriCorps has prepared you well for what lies beyond.

But looking beyond your career, NCCC, has also been great preparation for the parts of life that you can’t put on a resume. You’ve learned new ways to live life as an active and involved citizen of the United States of America. This year, you’ve earned a degree in stepping up and getting things done. You’ve done this, so that next year when your residence hall wants to organize a service project; or your church wants to coordinate a food pantry; or your local Rotary club plans a trip to help rebuild after a hurricane – you will be perfectly suited for the task.

It doesn’t have to complicated or earth shattering, but your service whether public or private, matters. Whether enacting large scale change for the public good, or helping a neighbor, your service matters. During the Great Depression my wife’s grandmother worked hard to make sure that her family did not go hungry. Her sights were not so narrow, however, to abandon concern for her neighbors’ who were teetering on the brink of starvation. Grandma made conscious effort invite the neighbors for dinner or send over what she claimed were “extras” so that they would not starve. Her actions were not newsworthy, but they were noteworthy, and they had a tremendous impact on at least five lives.

How amazing would life be if we looked out for each other just one tiny little bit? AmeriCorps offers us a glimpse of what a world like that could look like. And that is the true NCCC legacy. Yes, we have left our mark, and have gotten things done for 16 years. But each time an alum continues to serve we broaden the umbrella of NCCC’s influence and impact.

When you go home and you tell people about what you did this year. Don’t expect them to get it. Oh, tell your stories, because they need to be shared. And many will tell you things like, “that’s great,” or “you’re really a good person.” But deep down, many people you tell about this experience just won’t get. Some of you might not even grasp the full magnitude of what you have just begun. But some of you do…and more of you will as you move on. You have begun a lifetime of service. You have begun to change the world. And tomorrow it’s up to you to carry on that commitment.

Thank you for your service this year, and thank you for all the good that I know you will do in the years to come.

Good luck. Safe travels.

Approximate time: 11 min. 25 sec.