Not abandoned, not vacant

8/25

Edward and Charlotte are on the steps as I arrive.  Things are a bit of a mess around them. He’s clearly spent the night. Good morning Edward, Charlotte. Y’know we gotta get things cleaned up here. 

Yeah, I know, I know...

Charlotte screws up her eyes at me. Raises her hand, fingers splayed. You go, she says, you go now..Yesterday’s gentleness is gone. 

Ah don’t pay her no mind, says Edward, she’s ok.

I know, Edward, I know. And look, if you don’t mind, I need that bag cleared out. And I point to a large bag of bottles and cans near the south doorway.

I ain’t got nothin to do with that. That ain’t my mess...

I know that. Didn’t say it was. I’m asking you for help.

OK, OK...

You go, you go now....

Edward, Charlotte, take care, ok? And I go inside the church. Danielle is there. She to has had a convesation with them. They are a fascinating couple. Danielle's learned that Charlotte is around 70. It looks pretty equal to me. We call to let Reachout know Edward’s back. 

Jeremy comes in. I ask him how its going with the Sacred   Center. We talk about his own writing. And then my desire on the tenth anniveersary of 9-11 to recreate some of the special music we did the first Sunday after. I sing settings of Not by might (Zechariah 4:6, the words above our door)....and the 23rd Psalm chant we created. He’s up for it. Thinks we can do it. 

Marc comes in to do another media interview training session with Hope and I. He does an Anderson Cooper on us. Then an aggressive Bill O’ Reilly. One interview goes well. The other, well, not s well.  And before we start the next one, an actual live journalist, Leslie Albrecht of DNA Info has walked in.

I go off with Leslie. She’s covered us before. Wants to do a story on West-Park and Woodshed from our perspective. I share my frustration with our having been labeled abandoned and vacant in the mainstream press. We are most definitely not.  I walk her through the whole  building. She’s never seen anything like it. I try to explain how it works. And how its more than a rental, a relationship. 

Back in the sanctuary, Sarah has joined Marc for a debriefing of our session. Have to get our message down.  Get the sound bytes straight. Time to run to the doctor’s for another evaluation.

On the way home, stop back to check in with Danielle. It’s an offday for Woodshed. A bit strange without them around. Out on the steps, Paul has settled into the north doorway. Another man, tall, bald, wireframes, almost distinguished looking, has settled into the south.