Week 12: Your Place

Week 11 is toast.

I am at 430,000 pennies with about 2 1/2 months left to go. If you have not made a contribution yet, do it this week. Help me get over the 500,000 penny hump! I am only 700 dollars away or 7,000 pennies! We have come so far, let's get that much closer this weekend!

But wait...here is your inspiration

"Last week, I was watching my older son Joshua play lacrosse. Joshua is 11 years old and the goalie on his lacrosse team. He is the one in the picture with the Maryland Lacrosse t-shirt. He started playing lacrosse this year for the first time ever after never having picked up a lacrosse stick before. He plays for a team in Prince Georges County called the PG Pride. He loves it.

Joshua has always loved sports. Soccer, basketball, baseball, football, diving, skateboarding... he plays everything. That's Joshua. He has always been most comfortable on the field in the middle of the action. As I was watching him out there, I marveled at his focus. Josh is a different person on the field. He is focused, deliberate and determined.

Gone is the 11 year old kid who my wife and I need to remind to brush his teeth and take a shower. Gone is the kid who's afraid of dogs and crickets. Gone is the kid who won't pour himself a bowl of cereal and finds spreading cream cheese on a bagel a complex task involving a blend of dexterity and coordination that only I or my wife seem to possess. In his place is the goalie of the PG Pride. Standing tall in front of the goal. Loudly directing the other players to get back on defense. Calmly stopping the balls being thrown his way with his body or lacrosse stick. Carefully and decisively slinging them down field to an open defender. I watched him and so proud because he had found his "place."

You know your place because you feel at home there. You are not sure why, because you've never been there before or done it before, but it just feels right. Like the right pair of shoes. Like you were meant for this place. All those things that people told you were wrong about you are suddenly right in your place. They are actually strengths now and qualities that are envied by others. This is place your crucible you confront your fears and anxieties at full strength and live to see your hopes and dreams come true.

It is the place where you realize that real strength comes from being part of something bigger than yourself. You are not the whole thing or the most important thing. You are part of a team. You are an important piece of a much larger puzzle You are grateful to have this opportunity.

That is how I feel about Pyramid Atlantic. Its ironic because as I have said before, I am not a printmaker, but I feel I belong here. It is the place where I feel most alive. It is the place I go to improve the quality of not only my life but the lives of my friends in the community. Its a place where I go to demonstrate to the businesses in the area the power of the arts to bring people together to activate their shops and restaurants. Its a place where I go to show politicians that the arts transform the lives by unlocking hidden potential and a love for learning. That this love you discover makes you want to go out and be more and do more.

I am so proud of my son and celebrate his joy in finding his place. I know what that's like."

We are almost halfway to raising 1,000,000 pennies for Pyramid Atlantic folks. The pennies will help support art classes and workshops, internships, studios for artists and events for people of all ages at Pyramid. Its easy to be a part:

• Contact me to pick up your pennies I will pick them up, count them and give you a tax receipt for your charitable contribution!
• Make a Penny drop. Drop your pennies off at Pyramid. I will count them and give you a tax receipt.
• Visit a Penny Partner and drop your pennies. Go to Fillmore Silver Spring, Kefa Cafe, Velatis Caramels, ArtSpring,Plaza Artist Materials, Zipcar, Firestation 1 , The Toole Design Group, and Statland & Katz.
  

If all this penny stuff is too complicated and you just want to make a contribution, you can donate in any form of currency to Pyramid Atlantic by clicking here. I will add up your donation in pennies and include it in my campaign.

Come to Pyramid, this Friday April 20th at 6:30 pm for Yuri's night: a space party. For $5, you can enjoy a cocktail, space treats, make a print, gaze at the stars from the roof of Pyramid and celebrate Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, a cosmonaut & the first human to journey into outer space.

Bring your pennies on Friday too and I will take them to my friends at Eagle Bank.