Home > Out and About — A Wireside Chat > Archives > 2008 > February
February 2008
MEET RON AND DENVER, MONDAY AT 7 PM, WACO HALL!
— Meet the authors — Ron Hall and Denver Moore, co-authors of Same Kind of Different as Me, will be at Waco Hall March 3, 7 p.m. to speak about their book in the One Book, One Waco program.
NO TICKETS NECESSARY. THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
COME CELEBRATE UNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY…
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Quite A Buzz about ‘One Book’
One book, and one story, is creating a buzz in Waco.
The story is of Ron Hall and Denver Moore. The book is capturing attentions, triggering emotions and shining light on our faith. It is making a difference in our community.
Same Kind of Different as Me, the book for this year’s One Book, One Waco, is powerful, poignant and true. It tells the story of an unlikely friendship between an international art dealer and a homeless man in Fort Worth.
It’s about friendship, loyalty and trust. We all have had an experience with an unlikely friendship in our personal lives.
Whether one is white, black or brown, religious or not, each of us has a story that shows the common bond of love and similarity. In the book, Ron and Denver discover that they are the “same” because they are different. Simply put, they discover the importance of true friendship.
Denver explains to Ron the concept of true friendship when he says: “If you is lookin’ for a real friend, then I’ll be one. Forever.”
At that moment, Ron and Denver lower their barriers to become the best of friends. The unlikely friendship centers on love. Forever.
The book brings our attention to issues of homelessness and our perceptions of the unfortunate.
In Waco we struggle with issues of homelessness and our perceptions about the people afflicted. This book helps to change our perceptions — our own judgments of the plight of the homeless.
May we learn to look at the homeless through the eyes of Ron and Denver: with love and consideration.
The power of this book is the sharing of Ron and Denver’s deeply personal story. In its honesty and starkness it causes our emotions to flare. Then it encourages us to make a difference.
Same Kind of Different as Me also is a spiritual journey. It does not matter what religious background you have, because it can inspire each of our journeys of faith and spirituality. Each of us can give back and make a difference in our communities. And, each of us can love and care for one another.
Please join us as we continue to bring unity in the community with One Book, One Waco. Please join us at 7 p.m. March 3 at Waco Hall to honor Ron and Denver.
Help us continue the buzz that One Book, One Waco has generated.
— Meet the authors — Ron Hall and Denver Moore, co-authors of Same Kind of Different as Me, will be at Waco Hall March 3, 7 p.m. to speak about their book in the One Book, One Waco program.
Reaching New Heights….
This past week, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce had its membership banquet, and it was a wonderful time to discuss “Reaching New Heights.”
The Chamber hosted a presentation by adventurer Jamie Clarke who discussed his travels to Mount Everest. Also, Mr. David Lacy recapped a wonderful and passionate history of Waco, and why we are part of a “golden age” as we reach new heights in our city.
I couldn’t help but note the symbolism of Mount Everest and our new building, and I couldn’t help but note the symbolism of Mr. Clarke’s story with the story of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce.
Then, it hit me. We are reaching new heights in education through our LEAD mentoring program, business leadership in schools program, and of course One Book, One Waco. We are reaching new heights in economic development, sports and special events, and leadership in our community. These are new heights!
Well, Mr. Clarke challenged us to lessen our fears, take more risks, and stay focused on what we want to do. He said, “don’t look down at the crevasses under you, but keep focusing on the rungs of the ladder as you climb to reach your goal.”
As I champion reading, education, and unity, I keep reminding myself of the challenges, but then I focus in on the vision and mission of why I’m trying to accomplish what I set out to do. These past weeks have been tiring and filled with many challenges - and yet more successes.
One Book, One Waco is reaching new heights - bringing the community together through a book. This communitywide reading program is changing lives from high school students to adults, and I can clearly say: the best is yet to come.
We will have our last book review and discussion before the author’s visit at 4 p.m. on February 26 at the MCC Conference Center. You are invited to hear Bob Anne Senter and Barbara Cunningham as they review Same Kind of Different as Me.
Don’t forget that Ron and Denver will be coming to Waco at 7 p.m. on March 3 at Waco Hall. The event is free and open to the public. No tickets necessary.
So, sometimes the way seems hard and the road is long, but never give up in reaching new heights. Whether it’s education or unity, all of us can lessen our fears, take risks, and reach for new heights.
“The Needs of the Many…”
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, or the few.”
For all of you Star Trek fans, you will recognize this memorable line from Mr. Spock from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. For others, this memorable line will strike a chord in each of us: the idea of sacrificing our all for the greater good of humanity. In essence, this line should serve as a reminder that we must value and work for the good of all our community - not just the one or the few.
As I travel out and about, I am challenged each day to impact the “needs of the many”. Whether it’s One Book, One Waco or participating in our Business Leadership in Schools program, I see the value of sacrificing my time, energy and my all into making a difference in education in our community.
This week I saw the “needs of the many” take place.
We had an event for high school students as part of our One Book, One Waco program, and to my shock we had 50 people at Barnes and Noble, discussing Same Kind of Different as Me. A majority of those 50 people were high school students, and it was great to see them engaged in the text of the book and in community together. We thank our sponsor Barnes and Noble and Craig Nash for their support and generosity in hosting us.
I moderated the event, and I was so amazed at the depth of their answers. I was amazed at their dedication to reading and our community. And, I was amazed that this book touched the “needs of the many.”
Another event happened this week to help “the needs of the many.” I visited Waco High, and I participated in an interviewing session for their Career Development program and AVID program. I interviewed students about possible employment opportunities in their future, and I gave them advice on being in the real world. I was not alone. There were other business leaders there, making a difference - focusing on the “needs of the many.” These leaders gave their time, energy, and effort to help educate our local students about future opportunities.
Why am I sharing these examples?
I am sharing these examples because I believe in the future. I believe in our local students and that they will succeed if we as a community continue to give them the resources to succeed. And we are doing a great job so far. I am sharing these examples because of my personal campaign to make a difference in education and champion reading in this community.
Another alarming statistic about reading is that 38% of employers find high school graduates “deficient” in reading comprehension. One in five U.S. workers read at a lower rate than normal. This is according to the National Endowment of the Arts.
So, this is why the “needs of the many” are important: We must continue to provide opportunities for students to expand their horizons through reading programs, discussion groups, job shadowing, mentoring, and through guest speaking opportunities of our business/community leaders.
We must do these things because the needs of the students, the needs of the teachers, the needs of education outweigh the needs of the one or the few. This must be a collective vision - a collective mission.
Because yes we can make a difference. We can.
So, being out and about has given me a new realization of the “needs of the many.” It has given me a lifechanging new perspective about our role in the grander scheme of things. It has given me a passion for youth, education, reading, and doing all I can to help our students and teachers succeed. And, it has given me a new challenge, mission and vision.
Remember, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one or the few. There are needs out there for our students, and I hope that we as leaders can continue to make a difference by putting those needs ahead of the one or the few.
Please stay tuned to our updates on One Book, BLS and other programs as we continue to join other educators and community leaders who champion, support and underscore the importance of education and reading in our community.
That’s out and about. That’s the “the needs of the many.”
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