The Homeless and a Flying Violin

Slice of Life: Day 4

How is the world a better place with you in it? This morning, I was greeted indirectly with this question before barely leaving my driveway. Somebody, apparently, wants me to do some heavy contemplating today. I wish the answer took longer to think about. I’m not sure it is.

I don’t mean that to sound like a defeatist attitude. I’m trying to face myself and declare a hard truth. If I believed the world is a better place, my fear is I’d stop, call it a day and live a life of complacency. I could play the teacher-card. Teachers know all too well the world is a better place because of us, but our efforts are often overlooked, ignored and underappreciated. Being a third-grade teacher, it’s rare I see my impact on students. Lasting ones anyway. I have received emails, and some former students have come in to say hi after graduating. These are, without a doubt, the reasons I teach. Not to be recognized, but to make an impact. The thank yous are a bonus, not taken lightly.

As I get further into my career, I find myself sharing more personal things about myself and what has inspired me. After giving my students a writing prompt the other day, I told them about my very first one. Mrs. Phillips, my third-grade teacher, wrote, in dusty chalk on the blackboard, The Flying Violin. Boy, did I ever go to town with that! Oh, I wish I had a copy of that story today.

Trevor Ferrell was the first thought I had, which I find peculiar when Dr. Amen asked me about my effect on the world. Over thirty years ago, Trevor spoke at my church’s father-and-son breakfast. At the time, he was a young teenager sharing his effect on the world. Trevor talked about when he saw a homeless person on the news and told his dad he wanted to take a blanket to them. He did. Long story short, Trevor started Trevor’s Place, a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. I shared this with my students as part of our morning meeting the other day after encouraging them to look for positive things in life.

I have never forgotten Trevor’s visit. And ever since, I have had a heart for the hungry and homeless. I haven’t done enough, but I have participated in the CROP walk, given money and manna bags to those who frequent the median strip. My family and I have also helped put together over one million bags of food as part of the Rise Against Hunger campaign. My hope is the event will inspire my girls the way Trevor inspired me.

How is the world a better place because of me? Well, I can say this, because of people like Trevor, I have no desire to sit idly by and watch opportunities fade in the distance. There are always people in greater need than ourselves.