Easy rider, waiting for a place to go

As our truck passed by, he glanced up with a grin, as if he knew something we did not.  I suspect he was a man about town, with places to go and people to see…

But not right now.

© 2010 – 2011, Mike Anderson.  All rights reserved.

Yes, they can

Recently, I had the chance to attend an amazing sports event.  It was not a pro or collegiate game, but a basketball clinic for kids with special needs of various kinds, including both cognitive and physical challenges.  Each child was paired with a high school aged “buddy” to be their personal coach for the two-hour session. 

At first, my entire focus was on the faces of the special needs children; how happy they were to be treated as equals by the older kids, and how proud they were made to feel as star players of their two-person teams.  But I realized, too, how fulfilling this experience was for the high school helpers, and what important lessons they were learning as they coached and encouraged their young all-stars.  They may have differed in size... but this day, all stood equally tall.

EVENT NOTES:  The iCan Hoop basketball project was founded by Julie Hagen, a mom who wanted her son Lucas to have a place to play and kids to play with.  iCan is now a part of the West Metro Miracle League.  For more information on the West Metro Miracle League, visit http://www.westmetromiracleleague.org/.  For more photos from the iCan Hoop event, click here.  And to see why we devoted this posting to their cause, click here.

© 2011 Mike Anderson.  All rights reserved.

The look of success

Each of us knows what it means to strive for success, but there is an even greater sense of accomplishment when we help others succeed.  When you help someone else accomplish something, you are rewarded by their achievement in ways that are difficult to describe; a sense of pride and joy that leaves you feeling both selfless and speechless.  Often, the experience begins with a young player looking up to their coach... and ends with the mentor in awe of their student.

EVENT NOTES:  The iCan Hoop basketball clinic on March 27, 2011.  The iCan Hoop league is designed to give kids with special needs a place to play the game.  It was founded by Julie Hagen, and is now a part of the West Metro Miracle League here in the Twin Cities.  


Visit http://www.westmetromiracleleague.org for more information.  


To see more pictures from this event, click here.  


And to see why we decided to write this blog posting about their cause, click here.

© 2011 Mike Anderson.  All rights reserved.

Difficult to notice, but interesting to see

The contrast was captivating. Wooden handrails against a stucco wall. The palms. The delivery cycle with the broken chain, parked beneath the stairs.

Because it is both rare and modest, simplicity is both difficult to notice and interesting to see.

© 2010-2011 Mike Anderson. All rights reserved.

A bountiful garden

In many parts of the U.S., the term fresh produce is quite relative. Depending on the locale and the season, our fruits and vegetables have ridden—sometimes for days—on a ship, plane, or refrigerated cargo truck.

In the market square of Higuey (pronounced: ee’ – Gway), food is sold less than a few miles from where the seeds were sewn. It has not been refrigerated, nor treated with preservatives or coloring. It looks fresh only because... it is.

© 2010 – 2011 Mike Anderson. All rights reserved.

Shoemaker

Entrepreneurship is abundant in the market square. One example was the determined pace of a shoemaker, who was reconditioning discarded shoes to make them ready for their next owner. It seemed like a good way to invest his minutes, as he waited for his next shoe repair customer.

What he lacked in tools he made up for in determination and swiftness.  If I ever catch myself wasting time… I will try to remember his work ethic.

© 2010 – 2011 Mike Anderson. All rights reserved.

Home for the holidays

Over Thanksgiving, my wife and I enjoyed a trip back to the hometown where we both grew up.  A harsh snow had fallen the week before, followed by a softer snowfall the evening we arrived.

The next morning, I walked through town with my camera.  The snow and frost covered any blemishes or imperfections one might see in a typical neighborhood or building… leaving only the picturesque scene one hopes to image when thinking of home.

© 2010 Mike Anderson.  All rights reserved.