the collective

I could not run back fast enough to write all of this down. I have had a most amazing morning. praise god.
I was woken up by a less than moral dream, if that's possible. I also went to bed at around 11pm so 6:30 isn't half bad. I spent some time reading and thinking. Then I biked to the office. It's labor day so there weren't many people on the road. I spent most of my ride on the street. It felt incredibly liberating. I could only imagine what it would be like to have 3 or 10 other bicyclists on the road with me. In moments of restlessness toward the violence in this community, I had thought about doing monthly walks along the streets. Somehow i would get the word out there and we would have 100 people every month walking through the most dangerous streets in philadelphia. The bike thing - same idea. It doesn't have to be a revolution, just a collective spirit ignited.

I stopped into the office to get a change of clothes and to drop off my backpack (it's a much smaller one than the one i had). Checked my email and a missed call then it was off to run along cobbs creek. About 1/2 way through, i ran into patrick (the volunteer manager at Cobbs Creek Environmental Ed. Center) and Larry, a before my time activist for the Ed. Center, and both of them were getting ready for trash duty around the creek. They flattered me with some nonsense. Larry told me he had heard about me. But the real meat of the conversation was when they told me about the transformation of Cobbs Creek: More people are running along the trails and dog walkers were picking up after their dogs. The center has gotten a lot more attention and refridgerators weren't being thrown into the creek. They were elated and so was I.

How many people did it take to get here? I am so grateful that God has given me the opportunity to play some role in changing this community perhaps bringing back the spirit that was here before my time. We still have prayers that need to be said and work to do, but i was inspired today. the grass lining the trail was clean, good mornings were shared between runners and dog walkers (some less receptive than others...but beautiful nonetheless), pat and larry were out picking up trash, the sound of the creek came crisply through the trees, people were out and enjoying the beautiful day that God has given. I am blessed.