Drug Squad goes past the Mason Dixon

For the past 60 hours plus I have been on what some might say over drive or on the brink of 'loco'. This past weekend consisted of a yellow bus, 21 teens and a 95 acre farm. All pretty much equating to little sleep and lots of coffee. Every fall I take my Drug Squad students on a retreat to my parents farm in Greenbay, Virginia. The goal was to get these kids out of their comfort zone and expose them to some of the basics of life that can easily go overlooked. The crux of the retreat is continuing to challenge them not only as a group, but mostly as individuals. My take is, we have one life and we best make the best of it... bottom line, it's not all about us. Are we pushing the envelope exceeding beyond what is merely expected? Do we shun complacency and have a vision for our peers, community and those who may be traveling down a path with an inevitably troubling destination? It is not merely having a heart, but a voice to convey concerns and what ultimately is the truth that can go unheard when silence is the option. Which, whether you like it or not when we don't speak up you are choosing to go unheard and simply taking the easy way out.




Heavy? Absolutely. Our lives are often lived in a manner that the timeline has no end. But there is one. Ultimately, we will all reach act five of our life. It isn't about morbidity, but reality. Allow the truths and its relevance to shape your vision. Will you leave an imprint on the hearts of others? Will you choose to make a difference and live with both open heart and arms stretch wide open? Its a choice not merely limited to teens, but all of us. When we are inwardly focused we miss out. We are blinded by me-ism. Pretty shallow and profoundly myopic. So, how are you living? What are you doing with the life you are living?
I can tell you one thing, these kids reinforce it all. Twenty one kids with a passion for life and desire to really make an impact. Man, what power lies behind that. After facilitating some pretty intense conversation, having very little sleep and enduring a 8 1/2 hour bus ride my body is exhausted but my spirit rejuvenated. Totally epic.