Resurrected Together

Time slipping through my fingers

Is it November 28th already? Has another year come and gone? Am I really 26? Will I actually be 30 when the college freshman from my church back home graduate? To my disbelief the answer to all of these questions is yes. The world looks pretty different than the one into which I was born. In 1980, the Internet simply did not exist. In 1980, giant cell phones were just beginning the test phase. In 1980, vinyl and cassette tapes represented the only music media. In 1980, cable TV consisted of no more than 30 channels. I often wonder how even more intimidating 2006 must be for people like my parents who were born in 1955 in a world of "party-line" telephones and manual typewriters.

25 was a great year. I was able to meet many famous historical actors. I met James Armstrong Sr. who filed suit for his sons to integrate Birmingham public schools. I met his son, Dwight Armstrong, who actually integrated Graymont Elementary in September 1963 at the age of 11. I also met Dr. Ceric who is the grand Muslim mufti of Bosnia. Over the summer I met Marjorie Nelson who was held captive during the Vietnam War and Fred Shuttlesworth who inspired and led the civil rights movement in Alabama. Then just last week I met some of the actual Freedom Riders who tried to integrate interstate travel, but one of the buses was bombed in Aniston, Alabama. 25 also witnessed the wedding of my brother, Marcus and my new sister-in-law, Adrienne. I also returned to Shiloh as counselor for my 7th straight teen session.

What does the future hold for 26? I plan to have completed my M.A. in History. I hope to have moved back to Cincinnati temporarily or back to NYC for good. I plan to teach high school via a fellowship that will pay for my certification, which it might mean I stay with hotel work for a year until application deadlines come back around. I'm fairly confident that I will not be married nor engaged over the next year. Whatever comes in the next year I am tired of living in the comfort of the ivory tower. Now at 26, I feel a sense of urgency now more than ever. At 26, I realize that years are only being subtracted from my life. Like sand slipping through my fingers, I begin to feel the years escape my grasp. I'm ready to confront the hate, fear, and violence that threatens to penetrate the hearts of the children who live on Brook Ave. I'm ready for the children of Brook Ave. to experience the full power of nonviolent unconditional love, which is more powerful than death itself. One cannot expect to bind the wounded from the suburbs, but must reside amongst the wounded if he or she is to apply the bandages themselves. This means that my destiny is intertwined with the fate of the children of Brook Ave. No matter what comes, we will live together, laugh together, dream together, and cry together. If for some reason we should die together, then thanks be to God that we will be resurrected together.

CJE