No time for excess chit chat
read, enjoy, think.
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by Joe B. Saturday and Sunday, two hectic tiring days for a guy like me. I messed up with finding a letter with keys to the office in the old union hall on 255 9th street in San Francisco. I’ll start from Friday. I’m at friends home she’s saying she’ll be at Horrace Man Middle School to be a facilitator and speaker on how to en-power the youth. Half what’s said left my ears as I’m ready to be home and crash before going out. She came over looked at my apartment and helped turn my dirty place into a cleaner better place to live, I’m at her place thanking her by washing dishes piled up that day. Though trying hard to get away from that chore. (Which I rarely do in my place I’m always washing something up at hers). Saying yeah, understand I leave. Friday at work I’m reminded. By Saturday before the day before POOR’s Book Release Party sleep made me stay in bed before practicing Yoga’s Cat, Dog, plank, and sun salute (there’s a name for it but don’t have the paper with me). My phone rings again its my boss saying no one is here to help her all this work must be done before Sunday! I didn’t want to go down there to help with whatever she has to do because the whole project seems to grow from a simple idea and get more complex as more ideas take hold. I as part of the ‘Po Poets and author of a book was ready to let it all go without being published. Looking longingly at my dented pillow, wrinkled sheets and warm inviting covers I moan a slow sigh and left the tempting sleep zone. The phone rings, its my friend calls reminding me yet again about publicly speaking at that middle school. This time the whole message gets through my alert brain but I tell her I’ll sleep some more then call her its 10:22 am. My boss is the only one there, the door that was supposed to be open is locked shut. I wait for someone to open up the auditorium door and also for a port-a-pottie with combination lock. First the portable pottie with an engaging gentlemen and Mr. Earnest with a key to the door both were pleasant even tempered people to deal with and have an honest conversation with. After we fiddled with the combination lock opening it a few times we’re ready for the auditorium. Ashley and I helped place white butcher paper across the walls on the second floor covering all the walls. I was Ashley with keen in-her-mathematical skills measuring out the width, length, and height as I help roll the paper out that really gets the work done. Either the glass is old and brittle, the window pane is loose or I was forcing it too much whatever happened it shatters suddenly with most of the glass going outside. Joe! You Cut? Lisa said, Ashley with a worried look or her face. I’m looking saying "Yes, I’m cut" feeling a glass sliver inside and wiggling it to get it out or it’ll keep cutting deeper. It really pooled out in dripping. "I think it’s a deep cut" I say doing a stupid automatic male response to pain as the nerves in my thumb screams its throbbing beat. "It hurts so the nerves are working." (Where is all this dumb-brave-the-pain-crap coming from? It keeps coming from my mouth unbidden because inside I’m saying I’m still bleeding! How far did I cut my self, was there more than one sliver of glass in my thumb? Lisa or Ashley went to get bandages while washed out my thumb with soap and water in the men’s restroom. The wound kept gushing maroon. Lisa wrapped a paper towel over it which quickly turns crimson. Towel after tissue after towel the same result a continuous crimson tide. I’m getting a little worried thinking I really may have nicked an artery or vein! I have band aids on and every three hours replaced them and my thumb continued to bleed soaking the band aid. Soon the throbbing is less and red turns pink as pain lessens. I made a joke about bleeding for my art. Downstairs as soon as begin moving tables, chairs, electrical equipment my thumb begin to throb and bandage turning red. The healing process is being interrupted I could to two things keep lifting things losing blood or lift a huge object and go home to rest. While Lisa talks to people, Ashley and Marissa are busing I pick up the huge 8 or 10 foot ladder, place it where Ashley, Lisa, and Marissa will be able to place butcher paper and promote the even on the vast union hall wall. Then I ask to leave. "Sure we can do most of this without you." Lisa says. Its 12:30 that kills the nap I call My friend saying I’ll be at the even but I wasn’t clear where I was leaving so she stays in apartment waiting for me. "Sorry Ms. M. Villaluna for the mixup." Taking wrong bus but find the place in record time, race upstairs to the 3rd floor 309 for the Youth Movements, (Youth Commission). San Francisco’s Youth Commission is unique in that they are appointed by both the Mayor and Supervisors of San Francisco. San Francisco Youth Commission The San Francisco Youth Commission was created in 1995. As stated in the Charter, the Youth Commission was created to "advise the Board of Supervisors The Youth Commission plays a vital role in ensuring that youth have a voice in decisions and policy that affect young people. The Above as stated is from the: www.ci.sf.ca.us/youth-commission. Thing is, the pre and elder teens on the Y.C. have power to influence both the Mayor and Board of Supervisor’s on situations that directly involve youth San Francisco and ripples through the country to everywhere else. If other pre teens and elder youth - oops this is where I have to amend the terms older and elder because Ms. M says its an oxymoron because they're all young people. Logically speaking if 40 and older adults are old to youth in their early teens and 20's wouldn't late teens 18 and early 20 year olds seem as old to them? But to a 12 year old Y.C. wouldn't a 18 to 20 yr. seem old to them too? The Youth Commission began in 1995 if the youngest Y.C. lets say 12-13 he, she was at the time is by 2005 ten years older and is now 22 or 23 wouldn't the next group coming up see him or her as older/elder youth? Even though most people would say their all young people younger Y.C.'s may automatically think older/elder and as their mentors. I wonder if all the Y.C.'s had a private panal to dicuss this it would be very interesting who would be consider as an elder youth (oops, said elder again). I don't know maybe the younger Y.C's can email me and tell me who they think as older/elder, to them adult allies or mentor's to them. I'd relay it without revealing who said who they chose but the older/elder youth (sorry again) will finally not be under a blind Ms. M. said to amend the the elder/older youth thing and I have but not exactly the way she wished but I only "'Keepin It Real, Girl, oh sorry 'um Young Mature Adult. She'll hate me but I'm being just as real and logical as I can. Its seems, if she really thought about it - she is an older/elder adult to younger Y.C's and a heaven forbid - a role model as well. Meanwhile my friend sleeps or is preparing for her big day. End-Pt. 1 of Facilitators & Books. Please send donations to For Joe only my snail mail: 1230 PO Box Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org |