Upside Down and Backwards

Last week I made a trek from HOLLYwood out to INGLEwood. "But why", you ask? Well, I'm gonna' tell ya'. on Tuesday the 29th I will be giving a youth drug abuse prevention seminar to the kids and teachers at Inlgewood High School. Now some of the more solvent schools and groups can, and have paid me quite handsomly for this one hour presentation. But this school is really struggling, as many others are and I just didn't want to turn 'em down. The kids out there still need what I got and I don't think it's right to ignore them just because their school can't pay. Evenso, I still have to eat, and I can't keep giving away prevention books which cost me at least $3.00 each to print. So, I decided I would go over there and petition the business community to sponsor my little show. The kids get the seminar and the books, the businesses get some good PR, and I get to keep eatin' beenie-weenies for lunch! Its a win-win for everyone. So I went over there and laid down my pitch. Spent two days going from place to place, group to group. One of my stops was at the Police Department. I know what you're thinking, "Ha, bet they arrested your dumb ass!" Well, in a word: "No". In fact I had a great meeting with the Lead Officer of the Community Affairs Division, Officer Robert Cavasos. We had such a great talk during which he expressed great admiration for what I was doing and offered his support! He said he would, in addition get me a meeting with his Commander so I could talk to her about speaking to all of their community Block Groups! Wow huh? One of my next stops was at Broadway Federal Bank where I spoke with the Branch Manager, Clark Smith. Mr. Smith read the material I brought with me and said he would run it by their coporate Marketing division and get back to me. "Yeh, o.k", I thought, "let it go and don't hold your breath". Few days go by, and then Friday evening I get a call from Mr Smith. The good news is that Broadway Federal Bank has decided to give me a Grant to conitnue my work and are sending Mr. Smith out to the school to hear the seminar and hand me a check! "So", you're probably asking, "The police that used to arrest you for robbing the banks who are now paying you are instead, now supporting you in the communities they protect"? Well, in a word: "Yes". See what I mean when I say, "I Live a magical life." I'm not just saying that. I live a magical life where miracles happen . Over and over again. All I do is show up and do my part. What amazes me so is that for so many years I was engaged in full scale pursuit of personal gratification and wealth, and even got pretty close some times. And yet, I know now that back then I had it all upside down. All upside down and backwards. The reality is the more I am in service to this world, the more it GIVES me. I don't have to TAKE it. All I have to do is give what I have to offer and the rest is already arranged for me in perfect order, rightside up, forwards, not backwards.