This is another catch-up blog, but I promise this is the last one for a while. Last Friday I attended the Unthinkable Project's My Concrete Mattress premier in Dublin... I think I mentioned that I was planning on going in a recent post. It was an amazing and inspiring evening. The film was so well thought out and tastefully done. It followed the lives of four homeless individuals who simply told their own story in their own words. At no time were conclusions drawn by the young people interviewing and editing the film. I think one of the individuals summed it up best, "We are just us."
The entire evening was so hopeful. I am convinced that people in Georgia who take the time to actively see and listen to this film will act. Maybe I'm overly idealistic, but I do believe change can happen, even if that change is only that someone sees homeless people with better understanding. I'm not sure what I'm trying to say is at all coming out right, but you just have
to see the film! One of the individuals in the film was a young man I think his name was John.
His story was phenomenal and I can hardly do it justice... suffice it to say his is a product of our foster care system, achieved an associates degree in legal aide, and now that he finds himself homeless is volunteering at a shelter/soup kitchen in Atlanta and each evening hands out food to the homeless on the streets of Atlanta. Seriously his generous spirit is amazing!
I want to share a few other thoughts expressed by people in the film and by some of the young adults participating in the Unthinkable project. I hope they inspire you as I was inspired or at the very least make you think.
My little sister, Sarah, painted this do as part of the opening act for the evening. This is not her first experience with performance art, but I think its her best effort so far. It was so amazing to see her artistic interpretation of the movie and organization.
Yes, I am homeless...
I wonder will we ever find peace.
I wonder if you should write a verse to heal these hurts.
-From a song by one of the individuals portrayed in the film.
Nothing is lower [than homelessness] except death and at least then you are going to a nice place. -A homeless man living in an abandoned building in Atlanta.
The final painting with the Unthinkable project logo... See, Go, Do.
Cost of living going up, while the ability to live is going down.
-Jon Goode, a spoken word poet from Atlanta (check him out on CNN's Black in America series)
Where is Hope?
Where is the love we all need,
The reasons to fight for more?
-Roan Williamson, one of the young adults originally from Dublin who wrote a song for the Unthinkable Project organization.
Just, Margaret
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